With the winter months among us, the dreaded Nor’Easters are sure to follow suit. These storms come and go 
quickly and sporadically. When it comes to winter it is important that you are ready for them, whenever they decide to strike. The frost and the heavy snow can easily cause tree limbs to fall and many other issues. Once the storm starts and limbs fly it is easy for your home to lose power. While it can be an easy fix if you blow the fuse as the only house that lost power, but should your whole neighborhood be down, it is best for you to know some good tips from the CDC about the safety of certain items when it comes to power outages.
Food
Food is one of the most difficult things to care for when it comes to having a power outage, mainly for food that needs to be refrigerated. You have up to four hours when the power goes out before it becomes a safety concern in the fridge for the food. During the first few hours you are alright so long as you keep the doors shut as much as possible. When the time comes to move things from the freezer consider a Styrofoam cooler with ice. The more you have in it the cooler it will stay, especially when moving things that are already cold. It is important that you know the temperature of your food as well. If the food rises above 40 degrees, then it is probably best for you to get rid of it.
Water
When it comes to water safety it is important that you have a way to hear about any updates to the drinking supply. Water is easily contaminated and it is important that you know that you have safe water to drink. One way to do this is to make sure you have some bottles of water that are from a safe source. Also, if you do not have bottled water, boiling the water is the best option when it comes to ensuring that the water is safe to use. And it is important that you do this for all instances where you could possible need water. Another option would be chlorine bleach, iodine or chlorine dioxide tablets which will kill most things that will be in the water.
Heat and Cold
The most important thing to keep an eye on when the power goes out is the temperature outside and inside. With the cold you need to worry about hypothermia and frost bite. While keeping the heat in a room seems easy once the heat runs out you will need to have blankets, layers of clothing and consider activity so that you can generate body heat.
Protecting yourself during a power outage is important when it comes to understanding and surviving during a power outage. Knowing how to handle certain situations is easy when you consider the ability to outlast the storm. They power will not be out long but it is good to be ready for when it will be.
