Severe Weather Preparedness

Preparedness Tips for Individuals, Families, and Businesses 

The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency recommends that Rhode Islanders take the following steps to prepare for severe winter weather.

• Make a Disaster‐Supply Kit.
• Practice your Family Emergency Communications Plan.
• Check on elderly family, friends and neighbors to make sure they are properly prepared. The elderly are especially susceptible to extremely cold temperatures.
• Make sure you can heat at least one room in your home if your power or furnace is not available.
• Before using your fireplace, have your chimney inspected by a certified inspector.
• Make sure your home is properly insulated. Caulk and weather‐strip doors and windows to keep the cold out.
• Install storm windows.
• Insulate water pipes to keep them from freezing.
• Know how to shut off water valves.
• Make sure your vehicle’s tires have enough tread on them and consider installing winter tires
• Consider purchasing and installing a generator in case there is an extended power outage. Make sure the generator is installed by a certified professional and only use generators in open areas away from windows and home to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Be aware of parking bans as some communities may issue one prior to a winter storm event.
• Follow your local Emergency Management Agency and RIEMA on Facebook at facebook.com/RhodeIslandEMA and Twitter at @NarragansettEMA and @RhodeIslandEMA for winter-related preparedness tips and winter storm updates.
• Visit Narragansett EMA's Preparedness for Residents page to sign up for CodeRed and receive free emergency alerts and notifications.  
• Visit RIEMA’s website at www.riema.ri.gov to sign up for CodeRED and receive free emergency alerts.
• For additional winter preparedness information and weather alerts visit RIEMA’s website at www.riema.ri.gov.