snow – 1800PrepareBlog

A storm that dumped several feet of snow in California has now made its way across the country. After wreaking havoc in the Midwest and heading into New England, it appears that emergency conditions will continue for a while. AccuWeather is calling it the “December to Remember,” and storm trackers are warning about heavy rains that will immediately be followed by a blast of cold air from the north:

The cold blast will bring about the worst lake-effect snow event of the season so far Thursday into Saturday. The worst of the blinding bands of snow will occur across upstate New York, where snow will be measured in feet.

With several feet of snow on the way, there’s always a danger of massive and sustained power outages. If you haven’t been thinking about emergency preparedness, perhaps it’s time to start prioritizing. For example, if you live in an apartment in a big city, do you have the means to prepare your food and stay warm during a blackout? Your tap water won’t be coming on without electricity, or your toilet, for that matter. It may not be a fun topic to think about, but it gives people great peace of mind to be prepared for these types of emergencies, before they happen.

Source:
http://www.accuweather.com/regional-news-story.asp?region=eastusnews

Cities across America are gearing up for snowfall, and warning citizens to prepare for snow emergencies. Primarily, city officials are concerned with residents moving their vehicles so that the city can plow the streets in order to continually provide police, fire and other services. Public Works Director Mark White in Spencer, Iowa had this to say about their snow emergency declaration:

“By ordinance, we only have to give a four-hour notice, but we always try to give the citizens as long as we can to get their vehicles moved,” White said. “When we pull the plows in because of really bad weather, there’s certain routes that we run continually to try to maintain service to the town — by the fire station, by the police station and nursing homes,” he said.

Iowa is under a storm warning and expects widespread blowing snow. In these situations, you can expect school cancellations and sometimes it’s difficult to make it to work. This winter presents a great opportunity to consider your plans for snow emergencies.

You’ll need to make sure you have a well-stocked car kit in case you get stuck in the snow. The kit should include warmers to keep you warm, emergency blankets and food and water. High calorie energy bars are great to have on hand. You also want jumper cables and other car tools so that someone can help you get your car started again if it dies down.

Source:
http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/story/1593032.html