How to prepare for a Snow Storm

[starfire]

Remember, these storms can cause loss of electricity, heat, and telephone service and can trap you in your home for a few days. It’s important to have ample supplies on hand in your home.

First, fill your vehicles with gasoline…if the roads get icy, you may not be able to fill up until they clear.

Make sure you have:
Extra food and bottled water.
High energy food, such as dried fruit or candy.
Canned food requiring no cooking or refrigeration.
Manual can opener.
Extra medicine and baby items.
First-aid supplies.
Flashlight and extra batteries
Toliet Paper

It’s also a good idea to have:
Back-up heating source, such as a fireplace, wood stove, etc (in case of power loss)
Fire extinguisher and smoke detector.
Weather radio or a radio with batteries.

[dlangland]

Candles and matches are wonderful to have on hand, also. Deb

[starfire]

And don't forget about those pets.

[Deleted]

Make sure your meds are all filled.
Yiiippppeeee, we have snow.
Make sure you have some type of a heat source in case the electric dies.
tnborn

[starfire]

It wouldn't be a bad idea to have a bag or two of Rock Salt for for your driveway, porch, traction for tires. etc.


"Rock salt is also applied to road beds in cold climates to help reduce the freezing point of water on the road, thereby allowing it to not freeze-over at 0 deg. C "

Or kitty litter is good for tire traction and for your driveway, porch, traction for tires. etc.

[Deleted]

If nothing else, make sure you have a one way ticket to some warm Caribbean island. ;D

Actually, I learned the hard way that I needed a manual can opener. We didn't lose power or anything but DH hadn't put the electric one back on the charger correctly so it had lost all charge.

In desperation, I had to use a bottle opener and punch a thousand holdes in the lid.

/VM

[Deleted]

Hopefully snow and winter weather will be gone
3 weeks till offical spring.
tnborn

[Deleted]

tnborn said:

Hopefully snow and winter weather will be gone
3 weeks till offical spring.
tnborn

Which means 20 days till another blizzard! lol

Woo Hooo come on spring!!!

Kaza

[dlangland]

Here in NW Iowa, it made it to 56 degrees today. I heard it was 60 in Sioux City, but it is going change back to regular cold winter temps overnight. BUT...they just now on the news announced that next weekend we are supposed to get a major winter storm again, and I believe it for I have been predicting the storms according the # of wks. after a major fog all winter. Haven't missed a storm yet, and I was already saying that to people who think spring is around the corner. Actually, they finally quit laughing at me after how many yrs. of doing that. What a strange winter, though. Deb

[Deleted]

Deb, you're right it is a strange winter. I have buttercups up about an inch. The trees are budding out, grasses are getting green again...Yesterday, the frogs in the pond were singing(croaking).
The thought of winter weather makes me depress. I'm ready for spring.
BTW I hope you miss the snow storm. Have a nice weekend.
tnborn

[auntieemu]

If you have oil lamps, make sure you have enough oil or kerosene. This last storm we lost electricity and found we had to pour the kerosene from one into the other because there wasn't enough oil for it to reach the wick. Which reminds me that I need to buy wicks......

[moongazer]

We had a storm come through here a month of so back and the 2 days without power was actually a blessing of an eye opener.

There was barely enough water for us and the critters.
I thought I had stocked enough.
Because we live in an earthquake zone and a volcanic area (they say it is not a matter of 'IF' but 'WHEN'
I use to always make sure there was no dirty laundry left at night (I realize this is easy for me as I don't have kids) and I alway made sure all water tubs, trofts and bottles were topped off at night.
Well I have slacked and got lazy until this storm.
I'm getting in the habit of making sure the dishes are done at night, all laundry is done and all waterer's are full before dark.

I found out you can't read by candle light so I bought a propane light.
Food and heat wasn't an issue we have a wood stove. Made hubby scrambled eggs on the wood stove.
Oh and I learned even though I have lots of canned stuff, I need to keep the freezer full cause a half filled one thaws a lot faster.

[Deleted]

Make sure your animals have plenty of hay and feed. I bought a deicer device to put in my watering troughs so the animals would have water.

Also, tarps can be used for any type of situation. So, try to keep plenty of these on hand. Make sure you have plenty of gloves, mittens and snow boggans so you can keep warm.

Make a checklist of items needed or that you use.Be sure all your meds are filled and that you have plenty of antibiotics for your animals in case pneumonia hits a goat or two.

Keep duct tape around,first aid kits,plenty of blankets, batteries and a radio.
tnborn

[moongazer]

What is a deicer device ?

I sure know I learned you use a lot more water for the critters than you think. It was appearent when it was not freely coming through the hoses. Good lesson, glad it was just a 2 day lesson.

[Deleted]

It is a device that you buy to put in your water in order to keep it from freezing regardless of the temps. Mine, I plug into the extension cord and I have water completely covering the heater. Also,I bought mine at tractor supply.I hope this helps. It sure saves time trying to break ice for animals.
tnborn

[Deleted]

bump