Just asking out of curiosity: at near-zero temps, how long does a full tank of heating oil last you? I'm on the west coast, and heating with oil is uncommon here.

One thing to keep in mind, if your heating facilities can do it, might be to restrict heat to just one or two rooms in an emergency. Move the beds so everyone is in the same room, etc.

Last winter, a couple invited 42 stranded people into their 1200 sqft home. I venture to guess that they had more of a cooling problem than a heating problem, due to body heat.

It certainly would be nice to have some kind of warning for this scenario, but I doubt that it will happen.

Sue with wood heat