Winter Storm... Are you prepared.

As most of you know there is a major winter storm currently hitting the midwest. When it is all said and done it is expected to majorly impact 33 states.

Here are some tips to help you prepare....(and I know for anyone west of Ohio it may be or soon will be too late)

1. Fill up the gas tank on the car
2. Keep your cell phone fully charged.
3. Purchase (or rent) a propane or kerosene space heater if you don't have one, or a generator rated at 2000 watts or larger and make sure you have enough fuel to run these for at least 3 days.
4. Have enough food on hand to last 3-4 days. If you do not have a gas stove make sure that the food can be eaten without cooking.
5. If you loose power be sure to turn on your cold water faucets so they have a good drip to prevent your pipes from freezing.
6. Make sure you have enough medicine to last 3-4 days (beyond the storm)
7. Put an extra blanket or two in your car.
8. Write down the numbers to emergency services such as police, fire, and any shelters that may be open during the storm.
9. Have a plan to close off all but one room of your home, which will be the room you heat with your "emergency" heater.
10. Stay home if at all possible. Only go out if it becomes a matter of life and death.
11. Have a battery powered radio and plenty of extra batteries for it and flashlights or battery powered lamps.

It was sleeting with thunder storms at 3:00am here in Texas. Plenty of ice to go around for everyone. Ice is what we usually get instead of snow.

Kudo's to Jim for starting this excellent thread! It is important!

 

Jim gave some excellent suggestions, the only thing I might want to add, is if you absolutely have to go out in your car, besides having blankets ,  make sure that you have good warm  boots and winter gear in your car with you, and also a good first aid kit, and  water and some food,  snack type food is excellent and a good cell phone, extra batteries and flashlight,  and also make sure that you alway keep your gas tank at least half full in the winter. 

 

 In the winter I always keep a "winter survival kit in my car, with a warning triangle, and good flash light, and a coffee can and candle., and matches. and even some extra pieces of wood. I have Just about everything in it.  If you get stranded in your car, stay in your car,  and do not go out in the weather. Your chances of survival are usually much better staying in the shelter of your vehicle. I have never had to use it yet ( knock on wood)!!!  But when you live out in the country there is alway the chance that you could end up sliding off the road and get stuck in the middle of a corn field. And it could be a long wait for help to come!  Or worse yet hit a deer or something! So as they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!  I give credit to my military back ground and two tours in Alaska to my attitude about being prepared! Especially in the winter!

 

  We had freezing rain and sleet last night, I went to town yesterday and when I came out of one of the stores ( after spending close to an hour in it) I had over a half inch of ice completely coating my car!  Starting around noon today it has been mostly  sleet  and snow with howling winds, I have some major drifts across my drive way,  they  say the worst is yet to come tonight!  Here in the midwest they are comparing this storm to the one on 1978 or 1979, I missed that one, as I was in Germany at that time.  But we had a do=oozy over new years of  99/2000 and I was stuck in the house for close to a week before they could get a grader from town to come out and clear our roads.

Stay safe and warm everybody!

White Beard 

we have had snow on the ground since dec 26th, we got more snow today and tomorrow is supposed to be icey

have to go for therapy on thursday and go to the bank. friday i have a doctor's appointment.

hope to move my car tomorrow. i backed in so it will be easier to get out.

spent most of the day on paperwork and did my exercises.

hope we don't get too much ice and hope we don't lose power!

Great thread!

You might all know better than to do this, but I would add: please don't sleep in the room that has the generator in it. I'm in Australia, where we've just had a very severe cyclone, and a young man died because the power went out and he was using a generator, and was overcome by the fumes. It's very sad.

Please stay safe, everyone.