Prepare for a Winter Storm

Winter storms can cause power outages that last for days. They can make roads and walkways extremely dangerous and also negatively affect critical community services including public transportation, childcare, and health programs. Injuries and deaths may occur from exposure, dangerous road conditions, carbon monoxide poisoning, and other winter storm conditions.

Now is the Time to Prepare:
Sign up for local alerts and warnings. Create and test emergency communication plan(s). Stock emergency supplies, and install battery-powered or battery backed-up carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors. Winterize your home. Review your property insurance, and safeguard critical documents. Get trained on specific needs your family may have. Also, consider joining your local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Identify a place nearby where you can safely warm up should you lose heat in your home

During  - Survive:
Stay indoors and off the roads. If you must drive, keep emergency supplies in your car.
Close off rooms to consolidate and retain heat.
Dress in layers, and use blankets to stay warm.
Bring pets into a warm place and out of the storm or severe cold.
Never use a generator, camp stove, charcoal grill, or gasoline or propane heater indoors, as these items can start accidental fires, cause electric shock, and/or cause deadly carbon monoxide poisoning.
Never heat a home with a cook top or oven.
Limit your time outdoors, and stay dry.

Know the Difference:
ADVISORY Winter Weather Advisories are issued when snow, blowing snow, ice, sleet, or a combination of these wintry elements is expected but conditions should not be hazardous enough to meet Warning criteria. Be prepared for winter driving conditions and possible travel difficulties. Use caution when driving
WATCH Winter Storm Watches are issued when conditions are favorable for a significant winter storm event. Heavy sleet, heavy snow, ice storms, blowing snow, or a combination of these events are possible.
WARNING Winter Storm Warnings are issued for a significant winter weather event including snow, ice, sleet, blowing snow, or a combination of these hazards. Travel will become difficult or impossible in some situations. Delay your travel plans until conditions improve. For a full list of winter weather Advisories, Watches, and Warnings criteria, please visit http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/winter/ww.shtmlready.gov/prepare

EMERGENCY SUPPLIES
Ask yourself, “What would I need for myself and my family if a winter storm struck?” and “What would I or my family require if we did not have access to a grocery store or pharmacy for at least three days?” Add any of these specific items to your Winter Storm Preparedness Checklist.
You may not be at home when the storm starts, so it is important to have basic supplies of food and water as well as a way to stay warm without power in several locations such as your workplace, vehicle, and/or school. You can build your supplies over time by adding a few items each week or month. Gather, in advance, the necessary supplies and items you will need to stay safe after the winter storm passes. For a complete list of emergency supplies, visit www.ready.gov/kit

Medical Needs
Be equipped to tend to any current or unexpected medical conditions your family members may have. Ask your doctor about storing prescription medication such as at least a three days’ supply of heart and blood pressure medication, insulin for diabetics, and other prescription drugs such as inhalers for those with asthma. Include battery backup power for power-dependent mobility devices, oxygen, and other assistive technology needs.

The following resources and websites can help you further prepare for, respond to, and recover from a winter storm.

• CDC Winter Prevention Guide: http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/guide.asp
• Winter Driving Tips: https://one.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/tips/winter/index.html
• Winter Storms...The Deceptive Killers: www.nws.noaa.gov/om/winter/resources/Winter_ Storms2008.pdf
• Winter Weather Watches, Advisories, and Warnings : www.weather.gov
• American Red Cross, Repairing Your Flooded Home: www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/ m4340135_file_cont333_lang0_150.pdf

RELATED WEBSITES

• FEMA Mobile App: fema.gov/mobile-app
• FEMA Winter Weather: www.ready.gov/winter-weather
• American Red Cross Flood Safety: http://www.redcross.org/get-help/prepare-foremergencies/types-of-emergencies/flood
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): www.fema.gov
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): www.noaa.gov
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): http://emergency.cdc.gov/winter/index.asp
• U.S. Fire Administration Winter Fire Safety (USFA): www.usfa.fema.gov/winter
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Disaster Technical Assistance Center: www.samhsa.gov/dtac.
• Para obtener información y recursos en español visite https://community.fema.gov/?lang=es 

Vehicle Preparedness

Vehicle Preparedness 

Car, SUV and truck kits are simple and very practical. With winter driving conditions right around the corner and able to hit at any time it is a good time to make sure our emergency car kit and our cars are ready for winter driving.

Let us first look at what I like to call "my trunk kit". The trunk kit can be divided into two sets of supplies. The first is personal preparedness and the second is vehicle emergency (Stuck in the snow, flat tires ... you know that stuff.)

If you find yourself stranded your goal is to be safe and warm when rescued. The first step in staying safe until rescued is to stay in your car if at all possible. (Sound familiar? Like staying in your home in a neighborhood emergency.)  Have enough supplies for those you are likely to have with you (like the kiddos!).

Here is a suggested list of emergency personal emergency supplies:

1) Extra set of warm clothes including: socks, gloves/mittens, hat, jacket/sweatshirt (hunter orange has it's uses here), insulated boots, long undies.

2) Blanket and or sleeping bag, chemical hand warmers.

3) At least one bottle of water for each person and pet. Hand wipes.

4) Charging cord for you phone.

5) Food that will NOT cause thirst. (Salted nuts stay at home.)

  Useful food might include: coast guard emergency food bars (available at Walmart for a couple of bucks), breakfast bars and complete nutrition bars. "Protein bars" are not really what we are after here. We want carbohydrates and as little salt or sodium as possible. Carbs are you body's energy currency NOT protein. Carbs will also help keep your metabolism up and thereby creating body heat. Sodium creates the feelings of thirst and can misdirect needed water from useful areas inside you. If by chance you include some sort of canned food in your kit, be sure you have an easy way of opening it. MREs are out if they need heating or cooking. Dehydrated foods? Forget about 'em.

6) A small duffel or similar to keep it all in.

For me the reality was easy. The only item I bought was the coast guard emergency food bars. The rest was easily gleaned from home. Just think of "warm, water & food", WWF. You may even include a deck of cards or other non-electrical entertainment.

Here is a suggested list for the vehicle:
(And no my warm weather friends, four wheel drive is not invincible! In practical fact, it is often at the root of many winter accidents and dismayed upside down drives in the ditch.)

1) Flares or reflectors to warn others and to signal for help.

2) Tire chains, tow strap, jumper cables, standard first aid kit.

3) Sand or non-clumping kitty litter for traction, or a GI shovel if you think you really want to dig out.

There you have your emergency kits, done.

Make your vehicle ready

In addition to the emergency kits, be sure to check your vehicle now and before any road trip to make sure it is in safe operating condition.

• Windshield wiper fluid
• Heater and defroster
• Wiper blades
• Antifreeze
• Lights
• Fuel system and a full tank of gas
• Ignition
• Exhaust system
• Tire treads and pressure
• Battery and brakes

The bottom line: spend your family time this winter making snow men, not becoming snow men!

Jackson Creek Emergency Preparedness

The Jackson Creek Emergency Preparedness blog is a community resource and not sponsored by any organization or group.  It is my desire to provide practical and useful resources and ideas for my community neighbors. As I develop the ideas in this blog, you will undoubtedly find reflections of my beliefs and concerns (I make no apologies).
My plan is to start out with general ideas which will form the foundation of later more specific ideas. On the right side bar you will find four separate pages: Family Plans, Family Emergency Communication Plan and Emergency Kits. These will form the foundation of all I include in the posts. The pages on the top will change from time to time.