Preparing an Emergency Winter Storm Kit for Your Home and Car

Winter Emergency Kit Checklist for Home and Car

A winter emergency kit should actually be two different kits. Keep a larger supply at home for power outages and disrupted services, and a separate vehicle kit for breakdowns or becoming stranded in cold weather.

Both kits need food, water, light, communication, warmth, first-aid supplies, and necessary medications. A car kit also needs equipment for snow removal, traction, roadside visibility, and basic vehicle problems.

The supplies should reflect the people who will use them. A household with an infant, pets, prescription medications, mobility limitations, or electrically powered medical equipment has different emergency needs from a household without those requirements.

Essential Concepts

• Keep separate winter emergency supplies for the house and vehicle.
• Prepare the household to manage at least several days without normal services.
• Include food, water, lighting, communication, warmth, first aid, and necessary medications.
• Add traction, snow-removal, roadside-warning, and basic vehicle equipment to the car kit.
• Personalize both kits for children, older adults, medical needs, and pets.
• Store supplies where they can be reached easily during an emergency.
• Check food, batteries, medications, clothing, and equipment periodically.
• Avoid winter travel when authorities recommend staying off the roads.

Why the Home and Car Need Different Kits

A home emergency kit assumes the household may be without electricity, heat, water service, communications, or convenient access to stores for several days.

A vehicle emergency kit assumes a different problem. The driver and passengers may be away from home, exposed to freezing temperatures, unable to move the vehicle, and waiting for roadside assistance or emergency services.

This difference affects what belongs in each kit.

For example, a large supply of household food and sanitation items makes sense at home but is impractical in a car. A compact snow shovel, ice scraper, jumper cables, reflective warning equipment, and traction material are useful in a vehicle but do not form the core of a household supply kit.

Some items belong in both places, including flashlights, blankets, water, shelf-stable food, first-aid supplies, phone power, and necessary medications.

What to Put in a Home Winter Emergency Kit

Ready.gov recommends keeping at least three days of emergency food and water and uses one gallon of water per person per day as its basic planning amount for drinking and sanitation. The Canadian Red Cross similarly recommends that households be prepared to be self-sustaining for at least three days. Households in isolated areas or places where winter outages commonly last longer may reasonably keep a larger reserve.

Water

Store drinking water before severe weather is expected rather than assuming the tap will continue operating normally.

The amount needed depends on the household, but emergency planning should account for drinking, basic food preparation, and sanitation. Additional water may be necessary for pets or certain medical needs.

Check commercially bottled water and reusable storage containers periodically. Keep stored water protected from chemicals, extreme heat, contamination, and damaged containers.

Food

Choose foods that:

• store well;
• require little or no preparation;
• can be eaten safely if normal cooking equipment is unavailable; and
• are foods household members will actually eat.

Possible choices include canned foods, nut or seed butters, crackers, shelf-stable milk, cereal, dried fruit, canned fish or meat, and other familiar nonperishable foods.

Include a manual can opener if the kit contains canned food.

Do not build an emergency pantry entirely around foods that require electricity, extensive cooking, or large amounts of water to prepare.

People with food allergies, diabetes, swallowing problems, or other dietary requirements need emergency food they can safely use. Infant formula and appropriate baby food should be planned separately when needed.

Light and Communication

Every home kit should have dependable emergency lighting.

Useful supplies include:

• flashlights or headlamps;
• spare batteries in the correct sizes;
• battery-powered lanterns;
• a battery-powered or hand-crank radio;
• charged power banks;
• charging cables and adapters; and
• written emergency contact information.

Avoid making candles the primary emergency-lighting method. Open flames introduce a fire hazard during an outage, particularly when people are moving through dark rooms or combustible materials are nearby. CDC advises using candles cautiously and never leaving them unattended.

Charge phones and power banks when a winter storm warning gives enough advance notice.

First Aid, Medications, and Medical Needs

A standard first-aid kit is useful, but ordinary first-aid supplies do not address every medical need in a household.

Consider:

• prescription medications;
• over-the-counter medications regularly used;
• prescription information;
• eyeglasses or contact-lens supplies;
• hearing-aid batteries;
• mobility-device needs;
• necessary medical supplies; and
• backup power arrangements for essential electrical medical equipment.

Do not leave essential medications in an emergency box indefinitely without checking storage requirements and expiration dates. Some medications have temperature requirements that make long-term emergency storage inappropriate.

Anyone dependent on electrically powered medical equipment should have a specific power-outage plan rather than assuming a general emergency kit will be sufficient.

Warmth

A winter outage can make indoor temperatures uncomfortable or dangerous.

Keep:

• warm layers;
• hats;
• gloves or mittens;
• dry socks;
• blankets;
• sleeping bags where available; and
• appropriate clothing for household members.

Children outgrow emergency clothing, so check sizes before each winter.

Do not put fuel-burning outdoor equipment into service indoors during an outage. Generators, charcoal grills, camp stoves, and similar devices can produce lethal carbon monoxide. CDC says generators should be operated outside and at least 20 feet from doors, windows, and vents.

Heating equipment requires its own safety precautions. If alternative heat will be part of the household emergency plan, understand how that equipment is supposed to be used before the outage occurs.

Smoke and Carbon-Monoxide Protection

Winter outages sometimes lead households to use fireplaces, wood stoves, generators, or other backup equipment.

Working smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms become especially important under those conditions. CDC recommends maintaining smoke alarms and battery-powered or battery-backup carbon-monoxide detectors as part of winter preparedness.

Keep an appropriate fire extinguisher accessible and make sure household members who are expected to use it know where it is.

An emergency supply box cannot compensate for missing or nonworking alarms.

Sanitation and Household Supplies

A longer outage may affect water, plumbing, stores, and normal cleaning routines.

Useful items can include:

• toilet paper;
• hand sanitizer;
• moist wipes;
• garbage bags;
• personal hygiene products;
• diapers if needed;
• feminine hygiene supplies; and
• basic cleaning supplies.

Store these with the household kit or somewhere equally accessible.

Personalize the Home Kit

Generic emergency lists are starting points, not finished plans.

A household may need additional supplies for:

• infants;
• young children;
• older adults;
• people with disabilities;
• chronic medical conditions;
• service animals;
• pets; or
• special dietary requirements.

Pet supplies may include food, water, medications, a leash or carrier, waste supplies, and identification information.

If an older relative lives in the household, consider medications, glasses, hearing aids, mobility aids, warm clothing, and the ability to move safely through a dark house.

The Canadian Red Cross specifically recommends adapting emergency supplies for prescriptions, babies, pets, and other individual household needs.

Keep Important Information and Some Cash Accessible

Winter storms can disrupt electricity, cellular networks, internet access, and electronic payment systems.

Keep important contact information somewhere that does not depend entirely on a phone.

Useful information may include:

• family emergency contacts;
• health-care contacts;
• medication information;
• insurance information;
• roadside-assistance information;
• utility emergency numbers; and
• relevant identification or document copies.

A modest amount of cash can also be useful when card-processing systems or ATMs are unavailable.

Sensitive documents should be stored securely and protected against water damage. There is generally no reason to keep irreplaceable originals in an ordinary emergency supply box if copies or secure electronic backups serve the purpose.

What to Put in a Car Winter Emergency Kit

The car kit should be compact enough to remain in the vehicle during winter yet substantial enough to help if a breakdown or storm leaves the occupants waiting in cold conditions.

NHTSA recommends winter vehicle supplies that include a shovel, snow brush and ice scraper, traction material, jumper cables, warning devices, flashlight, blankets, food, water, a phone charger, first aid, and necessary medications.

Warm Clothing and Blankets

Keep enough basic cold-weather protection for the usual vehicle occupants.

Useful supplies include:

• blankets or emergency blankets;
• gloves or mittens;
• warm hats;
• extra socks; and
• an additional insulating layer.

A driver dressed for a short trip from a heated house to a heated building may be poorly prepared to sit in a disabled vehicle for several hours.

Children’s emergency clothing should be checked regularly because sizes change.

Snow Removal and Traction

A compact shovel can help clear snow from around tires or the exhaust area.

Also consider:

• snow brush;
• windshield ice scraper;
• sand or another suitable traction material; and
• traction mats where appropriate.

Traction equipment does not guarantee that a vehicle can safely escape deep snow. Continuing to spin the wheels can dig the vehicle farther into the snow.

Tire chains may be useful or required in some areas, but regulations vary. Use only equipment compatible with the vehicle and tires and follow local rules and the vehicle manufacturer’s instructions.

Roadside Visibility

A vehicle disabled during snowfall, blowing snow, or darkness must be visible to approaching traffic and rescuers.

The kit can include:

• reflective warning triangles;
• emergency lights or beacons approved for roadside use;
• flashlight;
• reflective vest; and
• a bright-colored signaling cloth.

Store warning equipment where it can be reached without unloading most of the vehicle.

Consider road conditions before getting out to place warning devices. Remaining inside a vehicle may be safer when traffic, visibility, or weather makes roadside movement dangerous.

Basic Vehicle Equipment

Useful winter vehicle supplies may include:

• jumper cables or an appropriate jump starter;
• tire-pressure gauge;
• basic tool kit;
• spare windshield-washer fluid rated for winter conditions;
• roadside-assistance information; and
• equipment required to use the vehicle’s spare tire, if it has one.

Emergency supplies do not replace normal vehicle maintenance.

Before winter, check the battery, tires, lights, wipers, fluids, brakes, and heating and defrosting systems. A roadside kit is intended to help when something goes wrong, not to compensate for a vehicle already in poor condition.

Food, Water, Phone Power, and Medication in the Car

Keep some shelf-stable food that can be eaten without cooking.

Choose foods that tolerate vehicle storage reasonably well and can be opened easily. Rotate them rather than leaving the same food in the vehicle for years.

Water also deserves attention. Bottles left in a vehicle may freeze during severe cold and can be affected by repeated temperature extremes. Check stored water regularly and replace damaged containers.

A charged power bank, vehicle charger, and correct phone cable can become important if the driver needs to contact emergency services or roadside assistance.

Essential medication requires more thought. Some drugs should not be exposed to extreme cold or heat, so do not automatically leave prescription medication in the vehicle. If medication may be needed during travel, carry it according to its storage requirements.

EV and Hybrid Drivers Need to Plan for Cold Weather

Cold weather affects all vehicles, but electric and plug-in hybrid drivers should consider battery charge and available range before winter travel.

Cabin heating and cold temperatures can reduce the usable driving range of an electric vehicle. NHTSA recommends keeping an electric or hybrid vehicle’s traction battery appropriately charged when preparing for winter travel.

Begin necessary winter trips with adequate charge and allow for delays, detours, and extended traffic stops.

A winter emergency kit remains necessary even in a newer electric vehicle. Blankets, food, water, visibility equipment, a shovel, phone power, and personal medical supplies still have value if the vehicle becomes immobilized.

Where to Store Emergency Supplies

The best emergency kit is of little use if no one can reach it.

At home, choose a location that is:

• known to household members;
• accessible without electricity;
• reasonably protected from moisture;
• not buried behind seasonal storage; and
• away from chemicals or other contamination.

A large plastic storage container may work well for many supplies, but frequently needed items such as flashlights may deserve easier access.

Vehicle supplies should be secured so they do not become projectiles during sudden stops or collisions.

Think about accessibility as well as storage efficiency. A shovel underneath several suitcases is not useful when the vehicle becomes stuck. A flashlight at the bottom of a packed trunk may be difficult to reach safely at night.

Some supplies should not remain permanently in the car. Medications, some batteries, water, electronics, and other temperature-sensitive items may need to travel with the occupants or be rotated according to manufacturer instructions and local winter conditions.

Check the Kits Before Winter

Emergency kits deteriorate quietly.

Food expires. Batteries discharge. Children outgrow clothing. A flashlight stops working. A power bank that was charged months ago may be nearly empty.

A practical household routine is to inspect winter emergency supplies in the fall and check them again after anything has been used.

Look at:

• food expiration dates;
• water containers;
• flashlight operation;
• battery condition;
• power-bank charge;
• first-aid contents;
• medications;
• warm-clothing sizes;
• emergency contact information;
• pet supplies; and
• vehicle tools and warning equipment.

Replace damaged, expired, or missing supplies promptly rather than assuming you will remember before the next storm.

If You Become Stranded in Winter

A car emergency kit matters most when the vehicle cannot continue.

NHTSA advises drivers stranded in wintry weather to stay with the vehicle and make it visible. Walking away can expose occupants to cold, poor visibility, traffic, and the risk of becoming lost.

Call for help when possible and provide your location as accurately as you can. Conserve phone power after assistance has been requested.

Snow around the exhaust deserves special attention. A blocked exhaust can allow carbon monoxide to accumulate in the vehicle. NHTSA advises keeping the exhaust pipe clear and running the engine only sporadically for warmth rather than continuously.

Do not run a vehicle inside a closed garage or another enclosed space. Carbon monoxide cannot be seen or smelled and can cause severe poisoning or death.

Use blankets and additional clothing to conserve body heat. Keep everyone together in the vehicle unless remaining there creates a more immediate danger.

The better decision often occurs before the trip begins. When authorities advise people to stay off the roads because of a severe winter storm, avoiding unnecessary travel removes the risk of becoming stranded in the first place.