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Article Series:
Home Emergency Preparation Tips &
Family Disaster Plans
How
To Prepare For Winter Storms
Preparedness is the key word. Even though
winter weather is, over the long term, unpredictable everyone
who lives in a place where snow storms are an annual occurrence
needs to prepare themselves for the 'mother of all snowstorms.'
Here are some tips for preparing your family, preparing your
car and preparing your home. But, before the tips, we start
with a warning:
Avoid
the complacency trap! If, one year, you invest the time
and money into preparing for the worst winter storm you can
imagine and then it doesn't happen, there is a danger that
you will slack off the next year. Don't let that happen! The
time when you are not prepared for something is always (or
so it seems) when that particular something happens. Not preparing
for a bad winter storm could be very costly.
Preparing Your Family
If you don't already have one, put together a disaster
supply kit that contains a first aid kit and first aid guide, any
special medicines needed by family members, bottled water,
ready-to-eat food, juices or other drinks, paper plates, plastic
utensils, an assortment of small pots for warming up food or
water, some cooking utensils and some cups, warm clothing or
protective clothing and heavy shoes and boots, thermal blankets,
flashlights or lanterns, candles, extra batteries and extra
fuel if you are using camping lanterns, matches in a water-tight
case, a battery powered radio and an easy-to-carry container
for portability.
After
a winter storm you may be stranded at home or several days. As soon as winter starts, make sure your supply of heating
fuel is topped off and keep it at an adequate level. It's very
possible that power lines will be knocked down and your electricity
disrupted; some homes have emergency generators for this eventuality
and others have other types of non-electric space heaters.
In either case, test and maintain the equipment often to make
sure it won't fail you when you need it.
Alternate
heating equipment can pose a risk of fire unless used safely
and maintained properly. If you use a kerosene
heater as an emergency heat source, make sure there is adequate
ventilation so the kerosene fumes don't build up and always
take it outside to refuel it. Keep all space heaters well away
from flammable materials. Make sure you have as many fire extinguishers
as required for a home your size, keep them charged up and
make sure everyone knows how to use them.
Dress
yourself and your children in several layers of lightweight,
loose-fitting clothes instead of one layer of heavy clothing.
Besides a good, water-repellant coat everyone should have warm
head gear along with scarves and gloves or mittens; use the
scarf over your mouths to keep the freezing air out of your
lungs.
If you have a nearby neighbor or relative who is elderly or
disabled, make plans to assist them through a winter emergency.
Preparing Your Car
Keep
your car(s) maintained and fueled up more than half way. Unless you're able to do it yourself, have your car(s) winterized
by a professional; they will check all the systems to make
sure your transportation is usable when you need it. If you
have a car you don't use often, it needs to be started and
warmed-up at least every two-to-three days.
Prepare
a winter emergency kit for each vehicle. Every vehicle
needs a shovel, an ice scraper, a flashlight or battery lantern,
extra batteries and extra bulbs, a battery powered radio, water,
some simple snack food, a few thermal blankets, a tow chain
or rope, something to use for traction like road salt, sand
or cat gravel, jumper cables, emergency flares and a distress
flag. Having a cell phone or some form of emergency communication
device with you or in your vehicle at all times is a great
idea. During a winter weather event or advisory only drive
when you have to -- being stuck on the road somewhere away
from your home and family is not a good idea.
Preparing Your Home
Seal up all the places where winter winds can sneak into your
home, make sure you have adequate insulation and, if you don't
have storm windows or window covers, cover the windows with
plastic sheeting.
If you have any outside structures for livestock or equipment,
make sure they are in good repair and properly insulated. Any
trees with limbs that extend over your home or out buildings
should have the branches cut away so they don't fall and damage
the roofs. If you have any leaky roofs, they should have been
repaired before winter came to your town.
Insulate water pipes with newspaper and plastic to avoid them
freezing up. If a pipe bursts, make sure you know where your
main water valves are located. # # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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