4 Costly Mistakes New Hampshire Residents Make During a Major Winter Storm

We are set to get a ton of snow this weekend.  Some forecasts are predicting potentially 20 inches of the white stuff.  In addition to the snow, temperatures are going to be dangerously cold with Windchill factors potentially of -25 degrees.

WMUR is forecasting over a foot of snow.

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We all know some of the things we have to do with a snowstorm hits, and there are more at the end of this article, but there might be things that you are doing that are actually mistakes.  Let's run 'em down.

Don't Assume Power Will be Restored Quickly

New England has had storms like this in the past, but many times, we assume that if the power goes out, it will be restored fairly quickly.  Although the power companies do the best they can, sometimes, that is just not the case. There are only so many people to make those repairs and they can only go so fast.  So, if you feel like the power may go out where you live, Make sure you have plenty of supplies like batteries, pet food, blankets and medication.  Also, make sure you have your electronics charged up.

Get the The Grocery Store, but Don't Overbuy

We all run to the grocery store it seems before storms like this hit and that's a good thing, however, don't overbuy.  Buying 20 pounds of chicken will do you no good if you don't have an oven with power to cook it.  Also, it's a good idea to use paper plates and disposable utensils because you will want to conserve water usage.

Don't Overuse the Water

If the power goes out in your house, don't take a shower or freely flush the toilet.  Your water pump is not going to keep providing water to the house in an outage.  You will also want to keep faucets at a drip so they don't freeze in these artic temps.

Never, Ever Use Grills Indoors

It's probably tempting to pull in the grille into the house to cook during a power outage or maybe take that camp stove that uses butane into the kitchen and fry up them eggs, but it could be a deadly mistake.  Carbon monoxide, which those things emit, is odorless and it is deadly.  Many people have passed away overnight because of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Here are 8 other things you SHOULD do to prepare for any major New England Storm

• Have a battery operated radio on hand for weather updates and where to get help if you need it.
• Make sure you know where your shovels are.  Don't wait until after the storm to search for them under a foot of snow.
• You should have plenty of blankets on hand for not only people, but your pets too.
• Make sure your medication is refilled for several days after the start of the storm.
• If you can stand it, shelter in one or two rooms of your house and block off the rest.  It will help with keeping your space warm.
• Do buy enough shelf safe food to last for several days and make sure you know where the can opener is.
• Check in on your friends and neighbors.  Maybe invite them to stay with you if your place is in a better situation.
• Gas up the car, but don't plan on going anywhere.  If you absolutely must, make sure you have an emergency kit in the car with you that includes food, water, blankets and a shovel.
• Make sure your electronics are charged up as much as they can be before the storm hits.