Your home or apartment as a shelter without electricity

Long blackouts come with two opposite enemies: cold (as in historic winter storms) and the extreme heat of summer. If you live on the ground floor, you have an advantage: the concrete floor stays cooler in summer and it is easy to get out quickly, but you are also more vulnerable to flooding and water getting in.

In cold

1. Choose an interior room, small and with few windows. Have everyone in the household and the pets sleep there: body heat helps.
2. Close the other doors and place rolled-up towels underneath to block drafts.
3. Cover the windows with blankets, heavy curtains, cardboard, or plastic. In the daytime, open those that get direct sun; close them at dusk.
4. Build an indoor "tent": a camping tent or a table covered with blankets inside the room holds a lot of heat for sleeping.
5. Dress in layers, with a hat, dry socks, and gloves. Wet cotton clothing chills you; change it.
6. Insulate yourself from the floor: sleeping pads, blankets, or cardboard under mattresses or sleeping bags.
7. Eat and drink regularly: the body produces heat digesting food. Hot drinks if you can heat them safely (outdoors).
8. Protect the pipes: if your water utility recommends it, let the faucets drip and open the cabinets under the sink. Fill containers with water before the pipes freeze (see chapter 3).
9. Watch for hypothermia in older people and pets: intense shivering, confusion, slurred speech, drowsiness (see chapters 7 and 14).

In heat

1. Identify your nearest cooling center today (libraries, community centers). If the indoor temperature is dangerous, go there; do not wait until you feel sick.
2. Block the sun: close blinds and curtains on the windows that get sun, especially west-facing ones in the afternoon.
3. Ventilate at night: open windows when the outdoor temperature drops below the indoor temperature, if it is safe to do so. Close them in the morning.
4. Stay in the coolest room, close to the floor (ground floor: take advantage of the concrete).
5. Cool your body: wet towels on the neck, armpits, and groin; cool showers or baths if there is water; light, light-colored clothing.
6. Drink water regularly and watch your urine (see chapter 3).
7. Pets: fresh water always, out of the sun, no walks on hot pavement.
8. Check on older or sick neighbors twice a day.

If your home or apartment is no longer safe

• Structural damage, water coming in, smell of gas, or an indoor temperature you cannot control: evacuate to a public shelter, to relatives, or to a hotel.
• Bring your 72-hour pack, medications, documents, and your pet supplies (see chapter 2). Many shelters accept pets or have nearby areas; confirm beforehand.