There are many words that could describe December’s crippling ice storm, but two that might come quickly to mind are: rude awakening. Despite what many of us know about how to prepare for an emergency, scores of us were caught by surprise when the power went out, and were left making mental notes as we fumbled for flashlights and kerosene lamps. (“Note to self: stock up on D batteries.”)

Many people were able to “get out of Dodge” and head for the bright lights, heat, and comfort of nearby hotels or homes of friends or other family members. But what if there was an emergency where leaving was not an option? What if all the roads out of Dodge were blocked by fallen trees? Do you have a “plan B”?

With the ice storm behind us, those mental notes about “what we’ll do next time” might be all but forgotten, and the need for a “plan B” nothing more than a barely remembered boogeyman. But winter has—officially—five more weeks to go, and has been known to pack a punch on occasion into April and even early May. So, to repeat the mantra on many a lip for the week or two after Dec. 11, “It pays to be prepared.”

Here are some basic things to consider when preparing for an extended winter power outage:

• Seriously—stock up on D batteries, used by most flashlights. Even better, buy a couple of wind-up flashlights.
• Make sure to keep plenty of nonelectric table lamps at the ready, whether powered by battery or kerosene. If you opt for candles, hedge your bets against accidental fires by investing in some hurricane lamps. And matches—don’t forget the matches. Store some in a waterproof container.
• If the kerosene lamp is your weapon of choice against a dark, powerless winter night, make sure to keep on hand spare wicking, extra glass chimneys, and a supply of kerosene or lamp oil.
• Invest in a fire extinguisher.
• If you don’t have a cell phone, it might be time to break down and get one. During the December storm, cell phones were the primary means of communication for many. Keep your cell phone fully charged at all times and consider buying a car charger for it.
• Acquire a battery-operated radio to stay abreast of weather and news reports.
• Make sure you have a supply of cash on hand. In a power outage, ATMs won’t be working.
• If you think you need a generator to make it through an extended power outage, get one, but plan to fire it up every few months to make sure it’s in proper working order. And keep on hand enough gasoline to keep it running for a few hours.
• If you rely on a sump pump to keep water out of your cellar as the snow melts, make sure you have one with a battery backup to buy some time until you can connect the generator.
• Consider acquiring a nonelectric backup heating source if you don’t already have one.
• If you have a wood stove, make sure to keep enough wood on hand—over and above your normal seasonal supply—to get your home through an extended heating crisis.
• Keep on hand an emergency supply of drinking water, and rotate the supply throughout the year. Consider installing a rain barrel to catch water runoff from the roof for use in flushing toilets.
• Maintain sufficient stores of food to last your family for at least a month. Grocery stores aren’t immune from disasters, so don’t plan on relying on them during an emergency for things you might need. Items to keep on hand include canned goods, dried fruit, cereal, high-energy snacks, powdered milk, and other powdered drinks such as juices, tea, and coffee. If you have a baby in the house, make sure you have enough infant formula, baby food, and diapers to get through an emergency. And if your family includes a pet or two, make sure to keep enough food on hand for them as well.
• Likewise, make sure your shelves are stocked with a sufficient supply of first-aid remedies, personal care products, and prescription and over-the-counter medications.
• Purchase a hand-operated can opener if you don’t already have one.
• Make sure you have plenty of warm blankets on hand for each person in the house or—even better—sleeping bags designed for cold-weather camping.
• Be aware of any special “shut down” procedures that should take place for appliances or systems in your house in the event of a winter power outage, and make sure everyone in the house knows about them.
• Similarly, make sure all family members know the location of emergency supplies, and that they know how to operate all emergency equipment. Review emergency plans with everyone in the household periodically throughout the year.
• If you don’t know your neighbors, introduce yourself. Invite them over for coffee and talk about what you could do to help each other out in the event of an emergency.

Although extended power outages can be particularly frightening and challenging in the cold winter months, they aren’t unique to that season. The summer can bring violent thunderstorms; fall can bring hurricanes. There is no time like the present to start on a “plan B.”

For more information on emergency preparedness visit www.fema.gov.