If you’re living without electric light, power or heat for extended periods, what can you do to keep yourself and your household safe, warm and sane?
Millions of Americans are living without power in their homes during frigid temperatures this week. Road conditions are icy in many areas, making drives to hotels, family or friends in less impacted regions potentially hazardous. If you’re living without electric light, power or heat for extended periods, what can you do to keep yourself and your household safe, warm and sane? Safety and security comprise the second of five facets of wellness design, and being secure in your living space is essential to your well-being. This has been true for as long as humans have been building shelters, but it’s become especially critical with a deadly virus circulating in our country. Home, whether it’s a place you own or rent, needs to be safe and that’s much more difficult to achieve when you can’t keep yourself or your loved ones protected from the elements. Here are some expert tips that can help at this challenging time. First, do no harm! Many households own generators, gas stoves and gas or charcoal grills that are tempting to use when your teeth are clattering. The American Red Cross advises against this. “Don’t use a gas stove to heat your home and do not use outdoor stoves indoors for heating or cooking,” the disaster resources nonprofit cautions. “Carbon monoxide poisoning is a real risk if improperly used. “Keep generators, camp stoves and charcoal grills outdoors only in well-ventilated areas at least 20 feet away from windows.” Carbon monoxide poisoning is the most common cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the U.S., according to the Harvard Medical School, sickening about 15,000 people and killing 500 annually. “In high concentrations, the gas can kill in minutes. Lower levels are also dangerous because the typical symptoms — headache, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath — could indicate so many illnesses. People think they have some kind of low-grade infection or the flu, not a serious poisoning problem,” the school’s newsletter shares; fears of Covid can create confusion now too. The editors add: “Even if it’s not fatal, CO poisoning can have devastating effects, including brain damage.” Social media posts show people sitting in their cars to get warm and charge their devices. This isn’t a problem unless the car is parked in an enclosed garage, which can be fatal, Harvard reports.
