Debbie McDonald
As much as I tried to deny it, winter is here along with the need to check out our winter emergency supplies. The most likely winter natural disasters in High Prairie are ice and snow storms but the electricity could also go out making heat, shelter, fuel and water a high priority. Plus, how many of us will either leave the area traveling to an unfamiliar area or have visitors over this holiday season? Both situations require extra planning.
Step 1 – Make A Plan and talk about your plan with your family members and visitors. If you’re not all together when that disaster hits, how will you communicate? Where will you meet? Can you meet? Talking your plan through will give you great peace of mind.
I’d rather shelter in place during a storm. Step 2 – Make a 72 hour kit (two weeks is better) with non-perishable food, manual can opener, 1 gallon of water per day per person minimum (remember those visitors!), alternate fuel, heat, blankets, flashlights with fresh batteries and other items recommended by FEMA at https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1390846764394-dc08e309debe561d866b05ac84daf1ee/checklist_2014.pdf. You probably already have supplies on hand but it helps to take an inventory, and it’s easy to stock up a few cans or items at a time.
If you have family members (or visitors) with special needs, stock up on those items. Babies need, well, baby food and formula (is this a canned item or do you need extra water?) along with a large supply of diapers and wipes. Elderly folks may also have special diets or needs.
There are many items you could include in your 72 hour kit as this is very personal depending on your situation. Write items down and check them off as you acquire them. If extra blankets or sleeping bags or toilet paper is stored away, make sure every family member knows where items are stored.
Step 3 – Make a communication plan. Ron and I had each had a communication plan in our heads but hadn’t written it down. Recently we took an hour to brainstorm, write down what each of us had in mind, and came up with some great ideas that we agreed upon and wrote down with some to-do items to make it even better. So much piece of mind. I recommend a little book called Personal Emergency Communications by Andrew Baze for ideas on a number of communication possibilities.
Speaking of communication, here are some questions to ponder. Have you signed up for emergency notifications from Klickitat County (http://www.klickitatcounty.org/249/Emergency-Preparedness)? Do it now. Have you talked to your children’s school to see what their plan is for winter emergencies? Do they have supplies to shelter in place or will they transport your children home? What if roads are impassible? What if you were stuck at work and couldn’t return home? Can you count on your employer to provide the basics—not the binder for the lawyers that my employer keeps—practical, on-site preparations are what count.
While it is important for you to be self-sufficient during the winter season, it is also important to find out what your neighbors may need or may be able to contribute. Who has 1st aid skills? Do you have neighbors who are elderly or have special needs to be checked on? Sometimes folks forget that each and every one of them have skills to share. Make a personal list and you’ll feel better knowing you have skills that others value.
Who has alternative energy sources? Who might have items you could barter for and what could you use for barter? Who has meat processing skills, or alternate communication skills? Who can cook from scratch over a fire? Once you make a skills inventory, I’ll bet you are much more prepared than you think and neighbors are more willing to share once they know you are prepared.
According to WSDOT, here’s how to prepare for winter driving:
Winter Driving – Emergency Car Kit and Preparations
• Check your tires and make sure your chains fit before the first winter storm and check tire pressure during cold weather. Remember, tire shops and mechanics are busiest just before and during winter storms.
• Get a vehicle winter maintenance check-up. Don’t wait to check your battery, belts, hoses, radiator, lights, brakes, heater/defroster and wipers.
• Keep your fuel tank full – don’t let it fall below half a tank on winter trips. (Debbie’s tip: Make this a habit year round.)
• Program your radio for traffic reports and emergency messages (for WSDOT radio: 530 and 1610 AM).
What to carry on winter trips:
• Keep a basic winter survival kit in your vehicle: flashlight, batteries, blanket, snacks, water, gloves, boots, shoe traction devices like YakTraks, first-aid kit. (Debbie’s tip: keep a shaker container filled with non-clumping kitty litter where it’s easy to access from your car seat. Sprinkle some on the ground before you take that first swiveling-one-legged step—Dutch Reach—out of your car. Ice is often hard to see in a parking lot.)
• Load your car with winter travel gear: tire chains, ice scraper/snowbrush, jumper cables, road flares. (Debbie’s tip: flares now come in reusable LED road flare disks; jumper cables are built into battery packs that need no other car, plus they have great features to charge your technology or use as a flashlight/signaler.)
See more winter preparedness tips at https://takewinterbystorm.org/.
If you find yourself stranded, be safe, stay in your car, put on your flashers, call for help and wait until it arrives.
Now’s the time to make your winter preparations. (Debbie’s tip: Maybe a loved one could use a gift to help with their emergency preparations.) By definition, once a disaster happens, it is too late to prepare.