How to Warm Your Home Without Power

More than 30,000 people in the Baton Rouge area are without power due to the huge winter storm that swept the U.S. If you’re one of them, you’ve probably been trying to keep your house warm.

If your electricity is out for awhile in this cold weather, you may want to consider staying with friends or family members who have heat. If that is not an option, the first choice for safely and reliably heating your home is a working wood, gas, or pellet fireplace. Make sure you have a battery-operated, working carbon monoxide monitor in your home when burning carbon fuels like wood, gas, and propane. If you do not have a working fireplace, here are some things to help stay warm when the power is out:

• Close blinds or curtain to keep in some heat.
• Close off rooms to avoid wasting heat. Make a designated heating room where everyone can easily gather.
• Wear layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing
• Eat and drink. Food provides energy to warm the body. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which provide a false sense of warmth.
• Stuff towels or rags in cracks under the doors.

Remember to move often and even consider exercising to stay warm. Doing some jumping jacks or pushups will challenge your cardiovascular system and get you warmed up in just a few minutes. Remember to check on your neighbors that might be more vulnerable without power in the cold weather – seniors, those living alone or with infants, or those with serious medical conditions.

Also note that hypothermia can happen indoors. It’s also important to look for signs of hypothermia if you’ve gone without heat for prolonged periods of time. It begins with noticeable shivering, which is your body’s way of trying to compensate for the cold. Other symptoms to look for include exhaustion, confusion, memory loss and slurred speech.

As your body becomes dangerously cold, the shivering stops. If you are experiencing these extreme symptoms of hypothermia call 9-1-1 immediately.