How to stay warm when you lose heat in your home
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While cold weather can often feel like an inconvenience in a normal setting, it can pose a dangerous threat when an emergency strikes. Last year, millions in Texas were left without power after an unprecedented winter storm rolled through, forcing residents to face frigid temperatures with no heat supply available. As dangerous weather events become more frequent and extreme due to climate change, weather phenomena like storms, blizzards and floods can pose threats against property and life across the country.
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In emergency weather situations like the winter storm in Texas, the risk of hypothermia is very real. You may be tempted to contact an emergency service—but mass power outages can disrupt communications and transportation, which may leave you to do what you can at home until the power returns.
Related: Burst pipe? Flood? Here's how to clean up water in your home
To stay prepared ahead of a potential cold-weather power loss, there are several tips you can read up on now to keep you and your family safe. Here are a few ways to keep the house warm and insulated, along with maintaining your body's heat.
Avoid opening and closing doors
When a power outage strikes, it’s of the utmost importance to retain as much heat as possible in your home—once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Constantly opening doors in the house can result in a loss of heat in the house. The National Weather Service recommends closing off rooms to avoid wasting heat.
If possible, try to hunker down in one room with the rest of your household. The CDC recommends huddling together with others to retain body heat. Now’s the time to snuggle up to Fido.
Close blinds and curtains
Not only does covering windows cool down your home during a heatwave, it works to retain heat in a cold snap.
Keep all your windows completely covered by closing curtains and blinds during the evening hours. However, when the sun is shining, the Houston Office of Emergency Management encourages homeowners to open these blinds and curtains to allow natural heat to come through.
Seal up your doors
Heat can easily escape from small cracks around your home. Along with keeping doors closed, you should also try to seal up the bottom of your doors to retain heat for as long as possible.
Use any towels or rags you have around the house and begin rolling them up into a long, tight barrier. Place it up against the bottom crack of the door firmly and keep it there for as long as you need.
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Bundle up
It may seem obvious to bundle up in blankets and winter clothing, but it really is that essential in maintaining a safe internal body temperature.
Make sure to focus on wearing multiple layers—the National Weather Service says these layers should be loose-fitting, lightweight and warm to wear. Materials with inner layers like wool and silk hold body heat better than cotton does, according to Mayo Clinic.
To further protect your body from cold weather, Mayo Clinic also recommends wearing a hat or other protective coverings—this will help prevent heat from escaping from your head, face and neck area. Use mittens instead of gloves (or gloves if that’s all you have) to cover your hands.
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Eat right and stay hydrated
When facing cold temperatures with no heat supply, it’s vital to take care of your body, too. Continue to eat and drink as normal, ensuring you are staying properly hydrated. You can also try to eat warm foods and liquids like soup to heat up your body.
While you may be tempted to reach for a cup of warm coffee or a glass of wine, it’s best to avoid caffeine and alcohol altogether. Both stimulants and depressants can cause your body to lose heat, which can put you in a much worse situation. Instead, drink hot water or caffeine-free tea.
Avoid using your oven as a heat source
Even after all these steps, you will most likely still feel cold, especially if the temperature continues to drop throughout the day or night.
However, under no circumstance should you use an appliance, such as your stove or oven, to provide heat to your home. A gas oven can present a dangerous carbon monoxide threat that could lead to poisoning or even death from the colorless, odorless gas.
And while an electric oven doesn’t pose the same kind of danger, it’s a huge fire hazard. Leaving an electric oven to radiate heat can melt knobs and can catch nearby flammable items, like dishcloths, on fire.
Know hypothermia when you see it
If temperatures drop to dangerously low levels, hypothermia can become a real risk. This is a serious medical emergency, so it’s important to be aware of the signs of hypothermia.
While anyone can experience hypothermia, elders and babies are among the groups of people especially vulnerable. According to the CDC, common symptoms of hypothermia in adults include shivering, memory loss, slurred speech, exhaustion, and more. Babies may exhibit symptoms like bright red, cold skin and very low energy.
If you or someone in your home is experiencing these symptoms, seek medical help immediately if possible. If you have to wait on emergency services, the CDC recommends continuing to bundle up, using skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers, or drinking something caffeine-free and warm to help increase body temperature.
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