Have
you heard? A big ice storm is possibly going to hit us tonight! The
latest news I saw said that ice would accumulate 1/4" to 1/2", and that
is MORE THAN ENOUGH to bring down trees on top of power lines. Be
extremely cautious and start getting ready right now for being without
power for a few days.
(I'm the new Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the GL Ward. I had that calling for 4 years in the MV Ward too, and kept a blog all that time, so there is a lot of information on here. We have lived in N.C. since 1987, so we have lived through several of these ice storms before.)
(I'm the new Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the GL Ward. I had that calling for 4 years in the MV Ward too, and kept a blog all that time, so there is a lot of information on here. We have lived in N.C. since 1987, so we have lived through several of these ice storms before.)
You
only have a few hours left, so please collect many of these supplies
before the electricity possibly goes out for a few days:
Make sure you have lots of foods that don't have to be cooked, or are easily prepared on an outside grill.
Make sure you have lots of foods that don't have to be cooked, or are easily prepared on an outside grill.
Does your baby have enough formula, diapers, etc. in case you can't get to the store for a week?
Charge your cell phones, cameras, laptops, and ipods. Put gas in your cars, in case the gas stations are without power. Get out your flashlights and lanterns and heavy sleeping bags or blankets.
Practice lighting your gas log or fireplace.
Run your dishwasher, you don't want dirty dishes sitting in there while the power is out. Make sure you do all your laundry.
You probably won't have any power for a few days, so you will also need a source of heat. Contact your friends with woodburning fireplaces or gas log fireplaces, see if you and your children can stay with them if necessary.
Don't worry about the food in your fridge and freezer, it won't thaw out with the temperature so low.
Did you know that if you have no heat, you can set up a tent in your living room and sleep in sleeping bags, and the temperature inside the tent will be much higher than in the rest of the house? If you have a gas log or fire place, make plans for how you will isolate that room from the rest of the house, to keep the heat contained. Maybe you can shut some doors. Or if you have an open floor plan, can you nail some blankets around the stairwell so the heat won't go up the stairs?
Run your dishwasher, you don't want dirty dishes sitting in there while the power is out. Make sure you do all your laundry.
You probably won't have any power for a few days, so you will also need a source of heat. Contact your friends with woodburning fireplaces or gas log fireplaces, see if you and your children can stay with them if necessary.
Don't worry about the food in your fridge and freezer, it won't thaw out with the temperature so low.
Did you know that if you have no heat, you can set up a tent in your living room and sleep in sleeping bags, and the temperature inside the tent will be much higher than in the rest of the house? If you have a gas log or fire place, make plans for how you will isolate that room from the rest of the house, to keep the heat contained. Maybe you can shut some doors. Or if you have an open floor plan, can you nail some blankets around the stairwell so the heat won't go up the stairs?
