What to Do in a Winter Power Outage (Oklahoma Ice Storm Guide)

In Oklahoma, the big outages don't usually come from snow. They come from ice. Freezing rain coats trees and power lines, limbs snap, and whole neighborhoods go dark at once. The December 2007 ice storm was the worst outage in Oklahoma history: the National Weather Service's Norman office reports more than 641,000 electric customers lost power at the peak, more than 150,000 were still without it a week later, and some city water plants briefly couldn't pump water. Some of the deaths in that storm came from carbon monoxide poisoning.

That's why this guide puts warmth and carbon monoxide first, and why "at least three days" is the floor, not the goal. If the ice is bad, plan for a week or more: see our week-by-week plan for a long outage.

When an ice storm is in the forecast

The National Weather Service usually gives a day or more of notice with a Winter Storm Watch or an Ice Storm Warning. Use that time:

• Charge phones, power banks, rechargeable lights and the radio
• Fill the car's gas tank
• Fill clean containers with drinking water (1 gallon per person per day), and fill a bathtub for flushing toilets in case the water system loses power
• Freeze jugs or containers of water to help keep the fridge and freezer cold
• Refill prescriptions and get some cash in small bills
• Test your carbon monoxide and smoke alarms
• Learn how to open the garage door by hand
• Bring pets inside and have a cooler ready
• Write down your electric provider's outage number, and sign up for its outage texts

The first hour without power

1. Report the outage to your electric provider. Don't assume someone else did.
2. Unplug electronics and appliances you don't need, and leave one lamp switched on so you'll know when power is back.
3. Keep the fridge and freezer closed.
4. Pick a warm room. An interior room with few windows works best. Close the doors to the rest of the house, hang blankets over windows and doorways, and gather everyone there.
5. Get the lights and radio out. Flashlights and headlamps, not candles.
6. Check on neighbors who live alone.

Staying warm without making it worse

• Dress in layers, including a hat, and wear dry socks. Wool and fleece beat cotton.
• Put everyone in one room and share body heat. Sleeping bags and blankets go farther with people close together.
• Emergency blankets reflect body heat back to you. Tuck one inside a regular blanket.
• Eat and drink. Your body makes heat from food, and you'll feel the cold more when you're dehydrated.
• Use fireplaces and wood stoves only if they're in good working order and vented. Fuel-burning space heaters only if they're made for indoor use, with a working CO alarm.
• Watch for signs of hypothermia: uncontrollable shivering, confusion, slurred speech and drowsiness. Get that person warm and call for help.

Food and water

• Fridge: about 4 hours if the door stays closed. Full freezer: about 48 hours, or 24 if half full (FoodSafety.gov).
• After that, throw out perishables like meat, milk, eggs and leftovers that have been above 40°F for 2 hours or more. When in doubt, throw it out. Don't taste-test.
• A cooler packed with ice or snow is better than setting food on the porch, where sun can warm it and animals can get to it.
• If your water system issues a boil-water notice, follow it. The EPA says a rolling boil for 1 minute is enough to kill bacteria, viruses and parasites.
• To keep pipes from freezing, let faucets drip and open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls.

Day two and beyond

• Know when to leave. If the house keeps getting colder, someone in the family is elderly, very young or has a medical device, go to a relative's or a warming shelter. Dial 211 or follow your county emergency manager to find one.
• Stay off icy roads unless you have to drive. If you do, read our winter car kit guide first.
• Stay away from downed lines. Treat every fallen wire as live, and report it to your electric provider.
• Ration your batteries. One light per room, headlamps for tasks, and charge phones from a power bank or a hand-crank or solar radio.
• Going past a few days? Read how to heat your home safely without power and check your supplies against how much water and food a 2-week outage takes.

When the power comes back

• Plug appliances back in a few at a time.
• Go through the fridge and freezer with the 40°F / 2-hour rule.
• Recharge everything, refill water, and restock what you used, while you still remember what you were missing.

A kit for the next one

The things people say they wished they'd had are almost always the same: a radio that doesn't need wall power, enough lights for every person, and something warm. That's what our outage bundle is built around.

Oklahoma resources

• NWS Tulsa for eastern Oklahoma forecasts and warnings (NWS Norman covers central and western Oklahoma)
• Oklahoma Emergency Management for statewide emergency information
• Your electric provider's outage map and outage-reporting number (write it on the printable checklist)

Sources

1. NWS Norman: The December 8-11, 2007 Ice Storm in Oklahoma
2. NWS Tulsa: Dec. 9-10, 2007 Ice Storm Summary
3. Ready.gov: Power Outages
4. Ready.gov: Winter Storms & Extreme Cold
5. National Weather Service: Prepare for a Winter Storm
6. CDC: Use a Generator Safely
7. FoodSafety.gov: Three Ways to Keep Food Safe When You Lose Power
8. EPA: Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water
9. Oklahoma Emergency Management