Preparation
Useful resources including latest news and publications to help your household with preparedness planning can be found on the Vermont Emergency Management’s website. VEM maintains a site with preparedness tips for individuals and families, and publications such as:
- Vermont Business Disaster Preparedness Workbook
- Vermont Family Emergency Preparedness Workbook (email VEM for a hard copy)
- Disaster Recovery Guide for Business
- Just in Case: Emergency Readiness for Individuals who Need Special Assistance
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides resources to help you plan ahead.
- The Vermont Department of Health provides many resources to help Vermonters prepare for emergencies
- Find information on COVID-19 and winter weather preparedness.
Notifications and Weather Alerts
- VT-ALERT is used by the state and local responders to notify the public about severe weather advisories, boil water advisories, and roadway interruptions, among other topics. Sign up to receive alerts by email or text. Vermont Emergency Management issues a Daily Situation Report that contains weather and incident details.
- VTrans provides many useful links at its Winter Weather Central webpage including information about road conditions via The New England Compass (511).
Power Outages and Telecommunications
In the event of a power outage, you should still be able to use a traditional wireline (but not cordless) telephone, because electrical and telephone transmissions use different circuits or wires and telephone company facilities have back-up power available. However, your cordless phone, wireless device or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service may not work unless you have a back-up power supply. For more information, please see our Voice Services over Non-Powered Facilities webpage.
- The Federal Communications Commission provides a guide regarding emergency communications in general, and tips for communicating during an emergency.
Outage Information and Guidance
- The Vermont Outages Map provides information about utility outages by county and by utility.
- The Department of Public Service has published a Consumer Winter Outages Guide to help consumers prepare for and handle power outages in the winter.
- The Vermont Department of Health website has winter weather tips:
- What to Do When the Electricity Goes Out in Arabic |Burmese | Chinese | English | French | Nepali | Russian | Serbo-Croatian | Somali | Spanish | Swahili | Vietnamese
- Winter Storm Facts in Arabic | Burmese | Chinese | English | French | Nepali | Russian | Serbo-Croatian | Somali | Spanish | Swahili | Vietnamese
- Carbon Monoxide and Generator Safety in Arabic | Burmese | Chinese | English | French | Kirundi | Nepali | Somali | Spanish
- Contact Vermont 211 for additional information