Check on everyone
• Provide first aid and a safe place for anyone who is injured or very upset. Check on and help neighbors.
• Call 911 or other emergency phone numbers only if injuries are serious or the situation is life-threatening. Phone lines will be jammed, if operational at all, and unnecessary calls can hamper rescue efforts.
Assess surroundings
• Check for hazards such as fire, leaks, chemical spills and precarious structures. Natural-gas companies ask customers not to turn off their gas service at the meter unless they smell or hear a leak. If you smell gas coming from inside your home, call your gas company from a phone outside. It's important not to touch electric switches or use the telephone until the situation is corrected. Only the gas company can restore service.
• Plug appliances into a generator directly or with extension cords. Never plug a generator into a household outlet because power can flow back to the utility's main system and injure utility workers trying to restore power. Always run generators outdoors to prevent buildup of toxic fumes.
• Turn off all appliances except the refrigerator and one light. This prevents a power surge when power is restored.
• Turn on the radio. In the case of an emergency that displaces many people, shelter locations will be announced.
Call for help
• If phone service is available, give your out-of-state contact an update on your situation. If service is spotty, ask your contact to call your insurance company if necessary, and to call your family and friends who may be worried about you.
Gather water
• Be prepared to treat, filter or boil contaminated water.
• Use hot water sparingly. Most water heaters can retain heat for three days.
• If the water supply is cut off, drinking water is still available in your home in water heaters, in-house plumbing and melted ice cubes.
• Use a hose to get drinking water from your water heater's drain valve in an emergency. It will be cloudy at first but will clear up after a few gallons.
• If pipes break or leak, turn off water at the shut-off valve inside your home.
Prepare food
• If you have a wood stove with a flat top and an undamaged chimney, you can cook on it.
• If the electricity is out, open the refrigerator and freezer doors only when necessary. Eat refrigerated food first, frozen food next and dried or canned food last.
• Refrigerated foods should be OK for about eight hours, holding a temperature of 40 degrees, unless the door is opened often.
• If the power comes on within the eight hours, anything with an "off" odor should be thrown out.
• Food in a freezer of 12 cubic feet or more should stay frozen for 48 hours if the freezer is full and the door kept closed; that food will keep safely cold for up to 72 hours. Frozen food that has completely thawed - especially vegetables and dishes containing meat, fish, eggs, cheese and cream sauce - should be tossed out because of possible bacteria growth. If the freezer temperature is higher than 40 degrees, throw out all food.
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