Mother Nature has already started giving us the cold shoulder this year, with more to come, for sure. Are you ready? Here are some suggestions to help you prepare for the next big snow storm.
  1. Check your local weather reports regularily, and take any weather advisories or alerts seriously.
  2. Create a disaster plan - if something serious were to happen, know how you would handle the situation. For example, what would you do if fallen trees knocked out the power for several days, or worse, your windows?
  3. Create an easily accessible (even in the dark) emergency blizzard kit. The kit should include non-perishable food, water, flashlights, a battery powered radio, extra batteries, blankets, warm clothing such as coats and gloves, and a first-aid kit. If you have kids, make sure to have some board games or easy (not too messy) craft projects for them to work on. Don't forget to have a stock of toliet paper, paper towels, and personal hygiene products too!
  4. Gather together any snow removal tools which you might need such as shovels and salt/sand (kitty litter also works well - I keep some in my car for this purpose) and keep them in a convenient location inside your garage, mud room, or back door. Make sure to take frequent breaks when shoveling after a snow storm to rest and warm up - don't over exert yourself!
  5. If you have a backup generator, make sure that you have enough gas to run it. Remember, don't run anything which runs on gas inside your home! Power outages are common during blizzards, so make sure that your pantry accounts for this as well. If you have canned foods, make sure that you have a non-electric can opener to open them with.
  6. Whenever possible, use flashlights rather than candles, especially around children. If you fall asleep with the flash light on, the chances are far less that the house will catch on fire!
  7. If you have a cell phone, make sure to keep it well charged anytime you're expecting bad weather. Even when the power and phone lines go down,your cell phone may still work in the case of an emergency.
  8. Try not to travel on icy roads - they aren't safe, and you don't want to be one more person that rescue workers have to pull out from a crashed car in the snow banks!
  9. If you must travel, make sure that your car has warm blankets (old ones are fine, just make sure they're warm), food and water in case you get stranded (granola or protein bars store well), and a first-aid kit. Keep in mind that idling your car may cause carbon monoxide to build up if snow is blocking your exhaust pipe, which can be deadly! If you must idle your engine, make sure to crack a window for ventilation.
For more tips and information, please visit:

http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/...extfmt=default