The Hudson Valley, the Catskills and the entire Northeast are forecast to have a major winter storm, possibly a Nor’easter, tomorrow into Saturday. A Winter Storm Watch is in effect over much of the area, with some predictions for as much as five feet of snow! While conventional wisdom says that we cannot change the weather, it does not mean that we are at its mercy. Power may be interrupted, roads closed and – in severe storms – communications can be cut off for days. However, emergencies can be planned for.
Here are 5 things you can do to insure you and your loved ones are reasonably safe and comfortable during the impending storm:
- Have a supply of fresh water, at least a gallon a day per person, batteries in case you lose power and a good first aid kit
- Make sure your supply of heating oil and cooking gas are adequate to weather the storm
- Fill your car’s gas tank and a portable gas can so you can travel in an emergency, and so you can run a generator and/or snow blower if you have them
- Keep a pantry well stocked with non-perishable food: canned goods and dry foods, including canned meat and fish, powdered and canned milk, pasta, flour, beans & rice
- If you have a pet, have food for indoor pets and move outside pets to a protected area with plenty of food in case you are snowed in for a prolonged period
Finally, just be practical. Thinking about what you’ll need and planning for the worst are good practice for any emergency situation. Move your snow shovel inside in case you have to shovel yourself out. Charge your mobile devices, fill your prescriptions and make sure any elderly neighbors are secure. Then, sit back and relax, break out the books and board games, bake some cookies and enjoy the beauty of the storm and the winter wonderland surely to be its aftermath.
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