INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — AES Indiana is sharing useful information on how to stay warm in this upcoming arctic blast.

AES is preparing for the possibility of severe weather anticipated to arrive Thursday night and last into the weekend. This arctic blast is expected to bring heavy rain, snow, gusty winds, and extremely cold temperatures.

According to a press release, the company asks its customers to put their safety first by being aware and avoiding unnecessary travel during dangerous weather.

They also have provided customers helpful winter preparedness tips should their power go out during the storm.

Before the Storm:

AES Indiana asks that people prepare an emergency storm kit. An optimal kit would include:

• Emergency radio
• Mobile device chargers
• Flashlights
• First Aid Kit
• Non-perishable food
• Water
• Face coverings
• Hand sanitizer
• Spare batteries

They also ask that people bookmark AES Indiana’s Outage Center on mobile devices for quick access to report outages and get updates on the outage map.

Should power go out:

Turn off all appliances including furnace, space heaters, water heater, and water pump. Leave one lamp on to know when power has been restored. Doing this helps avoid a circuit overload, which would lead to another outage when all power is restored all at once.

Keep freezer and refrigerator doors closed. According to AES Indiana, food stays frozen for 36-48 hours in a fully loaded freezer. A half-full freezer will keep food frozen for about 24 hours.

Finally, keep blinds open during the day to allow sunlight heat in, then cover windows with drapes at night and gather in a central room with an alternate heat source such as a fireplace.

Customers can report outages day or night at the AES Indiana website, or by calling 317-261-8111. Visit their weather tips page to learn more.

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