Preparing to Deal with Winter Weather -

Details for Preparing to Deal with Winter Weather

ID:	8765
Author:	jackrlandry
Title:	Preparing to Deal with Winter Weather
Article:	There are many disasters that could strike you and your family at any moment. These disasters could be man-made or natural, but the effects of either could be devastating. Disasters do not wait to be convenient. They often strike at the most inconvenient of times. As a result, it is important to be prepared for anything. The winter time is one of the worst times to be caught outside without shelter or emergency kits that prepare you for the situation. If you are forced out in the snow, below freezing temperatures, strong winds, ice conditions or heavy rainstorms during the winter, you will need to be prepared to survive. Even if you are not forced out of doors, your heating, power, and communication systems could go down. You will also need to be prepared for these scenarios. Winter storms are referred to as "Deceptive Killers" for a very good reason. While most people do not die directly in the storm, they can die as a result of icy roads or hypothermia from the cold caused by the storm. The first thing you will need to do is put together an emergency kit for each of your family members. You will also need an emergency kit for the car. These emergency kits should all contain plenty of clean water, non-perishable food, a hand powered radio and flashlight, and spare changes of winter clothing. There are many options for the non-perishable food you include in the kit. Freeze-dried food packets and MREs, Meals Ready to Eat, are light weight and can provide excellent tasting and nutritional meals for your family members. Their light weight makes them easy to carry and store in a small emergency kit. You will also want to store rock salt to melt the ice on walkways, sand to improve traction on walkways, and snow shovels for the winter time. Do not forget to pack warm clothing and blankets in the kits. These things are absolutely critical to the survival of your family during the winter time. After you put together the emergency plans, you will need to make sure you sit down with your family and talk about an emergency plan. It is not likely that you will all be together when the disaster hits. You will need to select a meeting place near your home, in your town, and well outside any disaster area. It is also a good idea to select a meeting place outside of that state. Keep in mind that it may be very difficult to contact each other across town. If the telephone lines are down due to the winter weather you may not be able to contact each other right away. You will want to select a person out of state who you can call. Even if the phone lines are up and running, it is likely that everyone else will be using them and it may still be hard to call across town. During an emergency it will be easier to call someone out of state and let them know where you are so that your spouse can find you. It is also a very good idea to make plans with your child care providers, schools, and workplaces. You will need to know where your children will be if they must leave before you can pick up your child. If they do not have a plan or emergency supplies, you could save many lives by helping them formulate a plan. You will thank yourself later for going to the effort to be prepared. In addition, you will want to become familiar with the terms that are related to dangerous winter weather. When you are listening to the radio, you may hear the term freezing rain. Freezing rain refers to a dangers coating of ice that is on the roads and walkways. This makes the roads extremely dangerous to drive on and many workplaces and schools may be forced to shut down because the transportation is so poor. Another term you will want to know is sleet. Sleet is rain that turns to ice before it hits the ground. Sleet is also responsible for making the roads dangerous during the winter time. It is often confused with the term hail. If you hear the radio announcer say "Winter Weather Advisory," it means that poor winter conditions are expected. It is likely that extreme cold, ice, and snow will come in the next few hours. About the author of this article: jack r. landry is an accomplished expert in family preparedness and has been giving seminars for over 15 years. he recommends that everyone have on hand an survival food storage in case of any emergency or disaster. contact info: jack r. landry jackrlandry@gmail.com (http://www.foodinsurance.com)
Category:	Recreation: Food-and-Drink
Date:	August 16, 2010 08:02:59 PM

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