Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Winter Weather Emergencies
Winter storms can bring extreme cold, freezing rain, snow, ice, and high winds. Staying safe and warm can be a challenge. You may have to cope with problems such as:
- Cold-related health problems, including frostbite and hypothermia
- Household fires and carbon monoxide poisoning from space heaters and fireplaces
- Unsafe driving conditions on icy roads
- Power failures and loss of communication
- Floods after the snow and ice melt
- Have a disaster plan that includes
- Making sure that you have important phone numbers, including numbers for your health care providers, pharmacy, and veterinarian
- Having a communication plan for your family
- Knowing how to get reliable information during the storm
- An ice scraper
- A shovel
- Cat litter or sand for better tire traction
- Water and snacks
- Extra warm clothing
- Jumper cables
- First aid kit with any necessary medicines and a pocketknife
- A battery-powered radio, a flashlight, and extra batteries
- Emergency flares or distress flags
- Waterproof matches and a can to melt snow for water
If you do experience a disaster, it is normal to feel stressed. You may need help in finding ways to cope.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
It sits within Disasters.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Learn More
- DisasterAssistance.govDepartment of Homeland Security
- Federal Emergency Management AgencyFederal Emergency Management Agency
- How Do I Keep My Children Safe and Warm during Winter Power Outages?American Academy of Pediatrics
- National Weather Service: Watch, Warning, Advisory DisplayNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Preparing for a Winter StormCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Safety Guidelines: During & After a Winter StormCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Snowstorms and Extreme ColdDepartment of Homeland Security
- Winter Storm SafetyAmerican Red Cross
- Winter WeatherOccupational Safety and Health Administration
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Emergencies, Cold Climate. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Winter Weather Emergencies, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.