As we turn the calendar to December winter is here! Winter weather and accompanying emergencies will differ between the mountains of Montana to southern Florida. However, all of us should take some steps to prepare our family for winter emergencies, preparation that will assist in any season.
Every family should have an "emergency bug out" bag for each member, suitable for each age and circumstances. If you haven’t taken the step, please, in the next few weeks or sooner prepare a 72 kit for each vehicle. It will be time well invested.
Remove everything from a bag you may have put in your vehicle last year and check out the contents to make sure nothing has degraded. For example, if you have food bars you may want to refresh. Also, sunscreen is only good for so long, so you don’t want to try to apply in five years only find out that you get badly burned. During the summer your shorts and T-shirts are a fine addition. But, in the winter, you may want to change them out for long underwear. Extra warm clothing and mittens are a must. If you have room add a few extras, they were able to share an emergency with others.
Additionally, there may be some seasonal things like hand warmers or small portable heaters, many of which can be saved in confined spaces like your vehicle. Make sure you read and understand the instructions and practice using any devices in advance so that you don’t need to panic during the emergency. Also, place actual boots in the vehicle and make sure you have an extra ice scraper in case one breaks. A small immersive cup heater, will run off your car battery, will warm up drinks to keep everyone warm and is available inexpensively on Amazon, - just make sure you keep a small amount of hot chocolate mix, tea and coffee. Also, if you are stranded for a longer period of time in a snowstorm you can use the device to melt snow to warm temperature. At times during a major freeze your emergency water stored in your car may freeze so this device will allow water to be warmed.
Keep extra jackets and warm blankets in your vehicle. These can be purchased inexpensively in a secondhand shop, and they make great handouts to homeless people or others and persons you encounter.
If you’re considering a portable generator don’t wait until the storm strikes because they will be gone in an hour local store. For the home make sure you’ve tested and provided fresh fuel for at least a week for your home generator and refresh yourself on the safe operation.
Every room should have a LED type lantern which puts out significant light with minimal battery drain. Always good to have extra lights. But make sure you have one for each room, so nobody needs to stumble over the chair. Extra batteries, of course, are always a must. When you accumulate extra batteries and lights, you’re in a position to share with others.
For backup heat a wood stove is always great, but they are not practical for everyone. There are fairly inexpensive kerosene heaters designed for indoor use. Make sure you have adequate fuel stored and have read and understand the instructions before use. At a minimum one or more of these heaters will keep your house from completely freezing up and will provide a cuddly place for the family to gather.
Cooking and heating food are always a key function. If your stove or oven is gas you should be able to utilize these with the power off. And, if you have an automatic ignition for stove burner a kitchen match should still do the job. Amazon offers a selection of emergency stoves but there are also many other vendors. Again, read and understand the directions in safety features before using.
These ideas are not comprehensive but should be a good first step in being prepared for winter emergencies and give you a great springboard for doing more. CEN's Getting Started will help you become a truly ReadyChristian.
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