Storm preparedness key as weather changes
Our friends at the Washington State Department of Transportation had some great advice in a recent blog to help you get ready for winter weather that is inevitably coming our way in the next couple of months:
- Don't get out of your car if you are near a recent avalanche. Your chances of being found are much better if you are inside of your car.
- Don't use a gas oven for heat, or light up the barbecue inside your home. Surprisingly, this was one of the hardest learned lessons from last year's windstorms. It was astounding how many people tried heating their homes or cooking inside and ended up with carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Fill your car’s gas tank, especially if you know snow is in the forecast.
- Pack an emergency kit in the trunk of your car, and one for your home.
- Create a family plan, and one for your kids (pdf). The kids will appreciate the contact-in-case-of-emergency cards. Have kids carry them in their school backpacks so they feel safer knowing they are able to contact me whenever they need to.
- Talk to your employer in advance so you know what’s expected of you in a snow storm. Can you stay home with your kids?
- Get a radio that allows you to stay informed. At the very least, the radio will give you and your family something to listen to while you play cards when the power goes out. NOAA Weather radios can be a great friend.
We also recently changed our preparedness page to offer you more tips for windstorms and floods.