Last of the Storm Tips

This will maybe the last of the Storm tips I have for now!.  In the newsletter that I do for our church I followed the evaluation one of our Pastors did on himself.  He broke it down into these sections and gave himself a grade between 1 -5 on how prepared he was during this last storm. 

So I took it one step further and gave some tips that will help in any emergency but it is mostly focused on the snow we just had.  Many other states are having issues with snow and ice now too, so I thought this would be a good end for our winter tips.  

General Preparation: 

How organized and be able to get to things quickly where you? Here are a few things to think about when trying to get organized.

1. Having some labeled (water proof) containers for your emergency supplies would be key. One for food, candles, batteries, flashlights/lanterns, radios (with the weather channel), blankets, clothes, etc.
2. This method would also work well with your tools. Maybe you have shelves for your larger tools such as chainsaws, branch cutters, etc. Having these items easy to get to will keep you from being cold looking for them, then colder using them. Or just being cold using them.
3. The easier it is to get to your supplies/tools, the less time it takes getting settled in during an emergency.

Food: 

Canned foods are always good to have on hand, especially if you can eat it hot or cold.  Dried foods, pouched foods, or even having healthy snacks, and yes even candy bars on hand, can keep you going.

1. When putting your emergency food storage together think about two things.  
2. One- I have a heat source to cook with what am I going to make? If you have a wood stove, gas stove, fireplace, or even a bbq outside. Make sure it is something that you can make quick.  It may take longer to cook on these surfaces, so being able to boil water for cup-of-soup is one idea?
3. Two- I don't have a heat source like a wood stove, etc., what am I going to make? If you do not have a heat source to cook with, have peanut butter and crackers are always a great stand by. Canned food that does not have to be heated like pork and beans, chili (movie cliche), or even cans of Chief Boy Ardy are good to have on hand. It depends on your families likes.

Shelter: 

This will depend on whether or not your home is damaged.

1. If you have a heat source stay where you are.  Make sure you have plenty of wood/pellets to last more than one or two days, do not forget to stock some gas if you have a generator.
2. Double check that you can get to blankets, sleeping bags, and warm clothes easily.  Are they in a container in the garage or on a shelf in a hall closet or a bedroom?
3. What if you do not have a heat source? One things your kids may enjoy is setting a tent up in the living room. Bundle up and pretend your camping. Lay out some sleeping bags and extra blankets. Body heat in a close quarter will help for awhile. Always have a back up plan to stay with family or friends if the power is out for too long, it may be saver in the long run.
4. If you do need to leave because of no heat or damage to your home, do you know where you are going to stay? Are you set up to stay with family, friends, or a hotel?
5.  If you do go to family or a friends... take some of your extra food to share with them.  It will benefit everyone, and it is a great gesture.
6. If you do decide to go to a hotel, make sure you have cash on hand because bank cards may not work.

Power:  

We are so use to having power that sometimes we forget to have things on hand, for those few times we lose it.

1. We all have a flashlight or two around the house to work on the house. But we may need to have a few extras on hand. Tap lights that you can hang on the wall or set on a counter are always great too.  They are much safer than candles for families with small children.
2. Candles, crank flashlights/lanterns are always handy in case your batteries die. Kerosene lanterns put off a lot of light. Just remember not to use propane in your home.  Propane can cause CO2 poisoning,  you may not know it until it is to late.
3. Heat we have talked about.  Wood/pellet stoves, fireplace, warm clothes.
4. Generators are nice but they also need to be use outside.  Not in a garage or enclosed area.  Again this can cause CO2 poisoning.
5. Buddy burners are easy to use but make sure they are on a surface that can handle high heat, and make sure they are out completely. Since they are fueled by candle or paraffin wax  it can cause a fire if not use wisely.

Vehicles: 

Our vehicles we talked extensively about in our last issue.  Here are a couple other things to keep in mind when you are at home and need to get out of your area.

1.  With all the snow and ice we had in the last few weeks keeping a large bag of salt on hand is a good idea.  Not only will it keep your side walks and stairs saver, but you can put it around your vehicles tires, if you get snowed in.
2. Parking your vehicle in the garage will cut down on your warming up time. A soft garage is nice but you have to be mindful of the weather. Too much snow can make it collapse, too much wind can cause it to rip or flip.
3. Being in the habit of checking your fluids and keeping the coolant, oil, steer fluid, and transmission fluids filled will help your leaving easier. Another good habit is to get in, is keeping at least 1/2 tank to a full tank of gas, at all times. You never know how long it may be before your next fill up.
4. Remember to check that your spare tire is filled and damage free.  There is nothing like freezing on the side of the road, with a flat tire and a bad spare.
5. Double check your 72 hour kit.  Make sure you have high energy foods and plenty of water, warm clothes, hats, gloves, and blankets, along with good warm shoes or boots.  Hand and feet warms come in handy also. 

 Now that we have evaluated ourselves, and we have a few things to keep in mind while refilling our emergency supplies. We should get better grades in the next storm. One last reminder... whether you are going to a hotel or not during an emergency.  Make sure you have some cash on hand.  Please do not carry anything larger then $20 dollar bills.  Our bank cards may not work in a power outage and we do not want to draw attention to how much money we may have on hand.