Sean McCullough, left, plays with his children in Copley Square in Boston on Sunday, February 10, following a powerful blizzard. The storm dumped more than two feet of snow in parts of New England.
(CNN) -- As a potentially historic winter storm approaches New England, it's a good idea to prepare for a power outage if the blizzard is about to hit your area.
Here are some tips to stay healthy when the lights go out:
Avoid hypothermia
A condition called hypothermia happens when a person's core body temperature goes below 95 degrees F. A rapid loss of body heat, usually because of being in cold water, is called acute hypothermia.
Cold outdoor weather poses risks of subacute hypothermia, when the body can't cope with the cold. And chronic hypothermia happens from ongoing exposure to indoor temperatures below 50 degrees F, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If your home has no heat, you can prevent hypothermia by using blankets, wearing layers of clothing and a hat, and moving around, as body temperature goes up with physical activity. Everyone should also be getting adequate food and liquids.
A person with hypothermia may become less awake and aware as his or her body temperature drops. Give the person warm beverages, but not alcohol or cigarettes. Don't try to warm a person with severe hypothermia using direct heat or hot water, as they will need to be carefully rewarmed and monitored. The CDC also discourages rubbing or massaging the skin.
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Drink safe water
Water purification systems may suffer malfunctions because of power outages. You should not brush your teeth, wash or prepare food, wash your hands or make ice or baby formula using contaminated water.
Keeping bottled water around is one solution, as long as you know that it came from a safe source.
The best way to make sure that your water is safe from bacteria and parasites is to boil it; one minute of boiling will kill most of these organisms, says the CDC.
You can also disinfect water yourself by filtering it through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter, or allowing it to settle. Then, draw off the clear water and disinfect using a household chemical aid such as these:
Unscented liquid household chlorine (5-6%) bleach can be used as follows: 1/8 of a teaspoon can be added for every gallon of clear water, or 1/4 teaspoon of bleach for each gallon of cloudy water. Stir well and let stand for at least 30 minutes before you use it. Disinfected water should be stored in clean containers that have tight covers.
Iodine and chlorine dioxide tablets can also be used as disinfectants -- just follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Managing your medications
The elderly and chronically ill need to take note of their medications when the power goes out.
Insulin and some liquid medications may require cooling, says Dr. David Seaburg, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. In warm weather, lunch bags containing a cool pack are a good option for those products.
For those facing evacuation, it's important to have a record -- either a piece of paper or a computer accessible file -- with the names and dosage information of your prescription drugs. Ideally, it should be prepared in advance.
Food safety during emergencies
For diabetics, a supply of snacks is essential, along with insulin and any other medications, says Dr. David Ross, a Colorado Springs, Colorado, emergency physician who assisted victims of a wildfire last summer.
Ross also suggests that people have an emergency one-month supply of prescription medications, so they will not be caught short-handed.
And Seaburg adds, "If you have a chronic illness or take prescription medications and you are evacuated or choose to go to a community center, make someone aware that you have a medical condition, so they will know what to check for if your behavior seems a little unusual."
Gadgets to help you survive a power outage
Breathing easy
Another consideration during a loss of power is for patients with chronic breathing problems.
People who require continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, devices for sleep apnea or other sleep issues will need an alternative source of power. There are options available for most machines, including CPAP battery packs, DC power options, marine battery adapters and travel-specific CPAP machines to provide power in the event of an electrical outage.
Chowing down
Keeping food at a healthy temperature may be a challenge during a power loss.
Refrigerators keep dairy products, meat, fish, poultry and eggs at a healthy temperature if they are 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If your power goes out, your refrigerator will stay at the proper temperature for about four hours if it's unopened. Placing ice bags or dry ice will help to maintain healthy cooling.
A full freezer will remain cool for about 48 hours, or for about 24 hours if half full. It's a good idea to have digital thermometers on hand to check the temperature.
Once the thermometer goes above the recommended temperature, avoid eating any dairy products, meat, fish, poultry or eggs. Throw away items that have been compromised.
The USDA suggests keeping a supply of canned and packaged foods that do not require refrigeration. Coolers are a good solution if your power will be on within 24 hours. And knowing where to purchase ice and dry ice is a good way to plan for an emergency.
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Meal ideas
The Mayo Clinic suggests stocking up on condiments, particularly those that are vinegar-based and have a long shelf life, such as ketchup, mustard and soy sauce.
Keep canned protein such as chicken, salmon, beans and peanut butter on hand, the clinic recommends, and keep boxes of powdered milk or shelf-stable milk cartons handy. Also, don't forget a manual can opener.
Eating out of a can doesn't have to be boring, says Ron Stone, assistant director of nutrition at the Mayo Clinic in Florida.
"There are many options to mix and match from your pantry, and with advance planning and a little creativity, you can provide healthy and delicious meals for your family," Stone says.
Clinic interns have created sample three-day meal plans (PDF) to feed a family of four without the use of power or refrigeration, including desserts and energy bars.
Unplugging
The American Red Cross recommends that you turn off or disconnect any electrical devices that were in use when you lost power. This includes stoves and other kitchen appliances. That's because surges or spikes in power can harm your equipment when the power comes back on.
You can leave one light plugged in, though, so that you know immediately when the electricity works again.
It's a good idea to keep candles around, as well as a flashlight on every floor of your home. A battery-operated radio is also handy.
Are you in the blizzard's path? Send your time-lapse videos and photographs to CNN iReport, but stay safe.
CNN's Ashley Hayes contributed to this report.
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A man walks by a storefront behind large snowdrifts on Boylston Street in Boston on February 10.
A woman walks past a man clearing snow from a sidewalk on February 10 in Boston.
A man walks past snow banks in the Back Bay neighborhood on February 10 in Boston.
Snowmen made from backstage lamps, paper rolls and water bottle caps stand outside the rest area during Fashion Week in New York on February 10.
Snow blankets Copley Square on Saturday, February 9, in Boston.
People walk and sled through a snowy Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday.
People attempt to push a stuck vehicle in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston on Saturday.
A boy pulls a sled through a snowy Prospect Park in Brooklyn on Saturday.
A boy snowboards in Boston Common on Saturday.
People play in the snow in New York's Central Park on Saturday.
A young woman jumps down from snow piled in front of the Massachusetts State House after posing for a photo in Boston on Saturday.
A man walks along a snow-covered trail in Central Park on Saturday.
A child tubes down snow-covered stairs in Central Park on Saturday.
Emmet's on Beacon Street is covered in snow in Boston on Saturday.
A front loader and truck drive down Warren Street in the Brighton neighborhood on Saturday in Boston.
People walk along the Brooklyn Bridge following a major winter storm on Saturday in New York City. Possible record-setting blizzard conditions are expected with heavy snow warnings in effect from New Jersey through southern Maine.
The sculpture "Double Check" by John Seward Johnson II is seen in Zuccotti Park following a major winter storm on Saturday in New York City on Saturday.
People walk along a street devoid of snow due to ocean flooding Saturday in Winthrop, Massachusetts. Coastal flooding is expected as the storm lingers into the day.
A person walks through the snow in an alley in Hoboken, New Jersey, on Saturday.
Children carry a sled through the Financial District in New York City on Saturday.
Saniyyah Phillips, 8, scrapes the snow off of the top of her father's car in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston on Friday.
Snow covers a sidewalk and building awning in Boston on Saturday.
Josephine Sipayung and her son Eric, 6, sled down an empty street past snow-covered vehicles in Boston on Saturday.
Snow-covered vehicles sit on Commonwealth Avenue in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston on Saturday.
A worker carries a snow shovel across the Ground Zero construction sight on Saturday in New York.
A woman walks through the snow as a worker clears snow from a sidewalk in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston.
Snow gathers on shoes hung from power lines in the Lower East Side of New York City.
Mary Leahy shovels her sidewalk in Medford, Massachusetts.
Paul DeCarlo uses a snow blower to clear the walk in front of his house in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
A man walks through snowy Central Park in New York.
Mike Streeter shovels snow in his front yard as ocean water crashes over the sea wall just feet away on February 9 in Winthrop, Massachusetts.
A pair of cows feed in the snow at Eden Pond Farm in Leyden, Massachusetts.
A child drags his toboggan up a hill in Central Park.
A woman walks in Boston on Saturday.
Phoebe Lightburn, 9, makes a snow angel in Central Park in New York.
A man shovels snow along Winthrop Shore Drive in Winthrop, Massachusetts.
A cyclist rides through the snow in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston.
Snow blankets Boston on February 9.
Pedestrians shield themselves from blowing snow as a blizzard arrives in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston on Friday, February 8.
Two women look for a taxi in snow-covered Times Square on February 8.
A food vendor stands under his cart as snow falls in Times Square.
A man shovels snow in front of the Apple store in New York on February 8.
People wait for a taxi in the snow in Times Square.
A pedestrian makes his way through driving snow with a broken umbrella in the Back Bay neighborhood on Friday, February 8 in Boston.
A fashion week attendee makes her way through the snow in high-heeled shoes on Friday.
Snow is cleared in front of Boston Public Library on Friday.
New York City residents cross a street covered in slush on Friday during a storm affecting the Northeast on Friday.
A woman walks through the snow past Copley Square on Friday in Boston. Massachusetts and other states from New York to Maine are preparing for a major blizzard with possible record amounts of snowfall in some areas.
A snowplow sits on the street while snow falls near Boston Common on Friday.
People walk through Times Square as a major winter storm moves in on Friday.
A snowman sits on the duck pond in the Boston Common.
A woman hails a taxi as snow and freezing rain fall over Midtown Manhattan as the city braced for the major storm on Friday.
A man operates a snow blower in the Back Bay neighborhood on Friday in Boston.
Memorial Drive sits empty following a driving ban and state of emergency that was issued in Boston on Friday.
Pedestrians battle wind, snow and sleet in Manhattan on Friday.
People walk through the snow in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood on Friday.
Bicyclists wait at a light in wind, snow and sleet on Friday.
This umbrella doesn't stand a chance in the wind-driven snow Friday in Boston as a potentially 
Jeannine Strampel walks through the snow past a statue of Alexander Hamilton along Commonwealth Avenue Mall on February 8.
Jerry Trebino loads sand onto the back of a snowplow February 8 in Wrentham, Massachusetts. The storm is expected to spawn travel headaches for a large swath of the region.
A woman battles her way to the subway in Boston on February 8.
Skiing seems like a good idea as snow begins to fall in Boston on February 8.
A woman struggles with her umbrella in New York's Financial District on February 8. Accumulations of up to a foot of snow are expected in the Big Apple.
Ines Cuadrado, left, and Anne Levine trek along a snow-covered road in Middlefield, Connecticut, on February 8.
Alfie Times shovels snow from the sidewalk outside the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, on February 8.
Ricky Varona copes with the wind and precipitation February 8 in New York.
Tourists brave the high winds in New York's Financial District on February 8.
A sweeper clears snow in front of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week tents on February 8 at Lincoln Center in New York.
A man walks along the promenade in Brooklyn Heights as Lower Manhattan stands in a cloud of snow and sleet in the early hours of a major winter storm on February 8.
A man walks across the Brooklyn Bridge in the snow and sleet on February 8.
Cars are lined up outside a gas station in Queens borough of New York on February 8.
A sign bears bad news on a fuel pump in Manhasset, New York, on February 8.
A woman tries to shield herself from wind and precipitation as the beginnings of a large winter storm hits the New York area on February 8.
Snow falls over Lower Manhattan in the early hours of a major winter storm on February 8.
A woman tries to right her umbrella while dealing with wind and precipitation in New York on February 8.
Two people carefully walk across the Brooklyn Bridge in the snow and sleet on February 8.
A satellite image released by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration on February 8, shows a large storm over the Northeastern United States.
People walk through the blowing snow while a blizzard arrives in the Back Bay neighborhood on February 8 in Boston.
A man operates a snowblower while a blizzard arrives in the Back Bay neighborhood in Boston on February 8.
A sign warns drivers along Interstate 495 of a blizzard watch in Franklin, Massachusetts, on Thursday, February 7.
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