Preparation aids winter storm victims

Make a disaster supplies kit

One of the most important steps is to prepare a disaster supplies kit for your home and another for the car. The American Red Cross recommends that the disaster kit include:

• First aid supplies and medicine
• A battery-powered weather radio
• a flashlight and extra batteries
• Canned food and a can opener
• Bottled water (at least one gallon of water per person per day to last at least 3 days)
• Extra warm clothing, including boots, mittens, and a hat
• Extra blankets or sleeping bags

Winterize your home

The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends winterizing your home ahead of the season and making sure emergency heating equipment -- such as a fireplace or a kerosene heater -- is available.

Winterizing a home includes steps such as installing insulation in walls and attics, caulking and weather- stripping doors and windows, installing storm windows and doors and wrapping water pipes with insulation.

Care must be taken when using alternate heat sources: Many people die in the United States each winter from suffocation caused by inadequate ventilation, or from fires sparked by fireplaces and portable heaters.

Plan for special medical needs

Arrangements also need to be made for family members with special medical needs, such as dependence on a ventilator or other machine that requires electrical power, said Molly Casey of the Red Cross.

"If you have that severe of a health problem then that would be part of your family disaster plan .... to move that individual to someplace where you'd make sure that they would get the power if they were hooked up to some kind of machine or some type of life-saving equipment," she told CNN.

If a winter storm traps you in your car, FEMA recommends staying in the vehicle unless a building where you can take shelter is in sight. Hang a brightly colored cloth on the radio antenna and raise the hood so rescue crews will notice. Turn on the car's engine and run the heater for about 10 minutes each hour, but be careful not to use up your fuel or run down the battery.