Preparing for Winter

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten,
and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow"

"With winter right around the corner, it's never too early to start preparing for snowstorms, icy roads, and other types of severe weather," says FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.  "Whether you live in an area that is used to severe winters or not, there are three simple steps all Americans should take to get ready: put together an emergency supply kit, develop a family communications plan, and stay informed about the risks and emergencies in your community." For helpful tips and recommendations see http://www.Ready.gov/america/beinformed/winter.html.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) outlook forecast is that the Pacific Northwest could have a colder and wetter than average winter, while the South may be warmer and drier than usual.  Severe winter weather can include snow or subfreezing temperatures, strong winds and ice or heavy rain storms.  An emergency supply kit both at home and in the car will help prepare people for winter power outages and icy or impassable roads.

According to FEMA, an emergency supply kit should include a three-day supply of food and water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio and extra flashlights and batteries.  Thoroughly check and update your family's emergency supply kit and add the following supplies in preparation for winter weather:

• Ensure your home and car are prepared for the winter weather
• Buy rock salt to melt ice on walkways
• Buy sand (we use kitty litter) to improve traction on ice or snow when the car is stuck
• Purchase snow shovels and other snow removal equipment (keep a small shovel in your car trunk)
• Have adequate clothing and blankets to help keep you warm.
• Update your family preparedness plan and contacts list
• Test your family plan
• Learn about the emergency plans that have been established in your area by your state and local government and your children's schools

Bottom Line

Keep informed of weather alerts via TV, radio, email, blackberry, etc. Ensure that you follow at least one of these to get advance notice of the following winter hazards:

• Freezing Rain creates a coating of ice on roads and walkways.
• Sleet is rain that turns to ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet also causes roads to freeze and become slippery.
• Winter Weather Advisory means cold, ice and snow are expected.
• Winter Storm Watch means severe weather such as heavy snow or ice is possible in the next day or two.
• Winter Storm Warning means severe winter conditions have begun or will begin very soon.

A Late Turkey Dinner

"Most turkeys taste better the day after, my mother's tasted better the day before"-Rita Rudner

Now this is an unusual story, “Wife who went to buy Christmas turkey and got stuck in the snow returns home... a month later”. Kay Ure left her home in Cape Wrath, Scotland (the most northwesterly point of the UK) to buy a Christmas turkey in Inverness 11 miles away. But she was unable to return when snow & freezing winds made the roads too icy for travel. Mrs Ure lived with a friend for a month before her husband managed to bring her home by boat.

And curiously it was the husband who seems to have suffered the worst for this. He had to live on the contents of his cupboards, baked beans and pasta, for a month. [ASIDE – see why food storage is important!]

Two weeks into his isolation, he ran out of heat and power when his coal fueled electricity generator blew up. Fortunately he had a battery powered radio for weather reports and logs and fireplace for heat.

Bottom Line

You never know when an “emergency” incident will occur. Ice storms are common the world round though usually not as severe as what the Ures encountered. How well could you get buy if stranded in your house for a week?

Ice Storm in Kentucky

“[The ice storm was] even worse than some of the tornadoes we've had where you have a very defined area of damage, ... The damage is so widespread, 42 of our 75 counties are under disaster declaration because of the ice.” - Mike Huckabee (Arkansas governor, 1996-2007)

After Hurricane Katrina, the Red Cross changed its recommendation from having a 3 day supply kit to have a week long food storage and supplies. Events in Kentucky are proving that three days just aren’t enough.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090131/NEWS01/90131003

Thousands of people in ice-caked Kentucky have sought refuge in motels and shelters. …Some in rural Kentucky ran short of food and bottled water, and resorted to dipping buckets in a creek. … rural communities feared it could be days or even weeks before workers got to areas littered with downed power lines. … Temperatures were expected to rise just above freezing Saturday for the first time in days.

At least 42 people have died in the icy arc of destruction that began in the Midwest. Most were blamed on hypothermia, traffic accidents and carbon monoxide poisoning from generators.

Bottom Line

Kentucky is also demonstrating why you to need to care for your own family and not rely on local or federal government.

1. Local resources are quickly overwhelmed
"We can't service everybody in our shelter," said Crittenden County Judge-Executive Fred Brown, who oversees about 9,000 people who have stayed five days at the town's elementary school.

2. State Aid is often not well organized

Local officials grew angrier at what they said was a lack of help from the state and FEMA. … the 25 National Guardsmen who have responded have no chain saws to clear fallen trees [on roads].

3. FEMA is SLOW and LATE
A FEMA spokeswoman said, "We have plenty of folks ready to go, but there are some limitations with roads closed and icy conditions."

What a surprise! An ice storm has closed the roads so FEMA is unable to respond. Apparently FEMA is only able to aid disaster victims when the weather is perfect and after someone else has cleared the roads.

4. FEMA supplies can not be trusted
Story Fec 5 on FEMA rescue food sent to Kentucky, FEMA Food May Contain Salmonella Peanut Butter

Hydroplaning

“May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you and all your heart might desire.” - Irish Blessing

A friend sent me the following email. I checked it out on Urban Legends and they concluded that while the account may be fictional, the recommendation is valid.

A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago and totaled her car. It was raining, though not excessively, when her car suddenly began to hydro-plane and literally flew through the air. She was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence!

When she explained to the highway patrolman what had happened he told her something that every driver should know - NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN [or Snow or Ice] WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON. She thought she was being cautious by setting the cruise control and maintaining a safe consistent speed in the rain. But the highway patrolman told her that if the cruise control is on when your car begins to hydro-plane and your tires lose contact with the pavement, your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane.

Bottom Line

These other websites agree - only use cruise control on dry pavement!

http://hp.state.sd.us/deskof/hp58.htm South Dakota Highway Patrol

http://www.buckeyelakebeacon.net/news/2009/0110/news/020.html Ohio Dept of Transportation

http://www.icbc.com/road_safety/pdf/ts367.pdf Insurance Corporation of British Columbia

Icy Windshields

“You never really know your friends from your enemies until the ice breaks” - Eskimo Proverb

I've broken many ice scrapers trying to get ice off my car windows. Fortunately there are better methods.

1. Cover Your Car
   Simple is best if you can keep the ice off your windshields. If you lack access to covered parking or, like me, your garage is too full of junk for the car to fit inside then try covering your car with a tarp or car cover. Keep it from blowing away with bungee cords or weights.
2. Prevent It
   You can buy ice-prevention formulas ($13 per bottle or so) to "prevent" ice buildup. The article 3 Cheap and Easy Formulas for Homemade Windshield De-Icer also recommends "Simply mix 3 parts vinegar and 1 part water in a spray bottle. Apply to all the car windows (including side and rear) before going to bed at night."
3. Melt It
   I've read of using hot water to melt the ice but have never tried this since there is a risk it can crack the windshield. Lukewarm water is safer to use.
   Two other suggestions from wisebread.com are:
   - "Mix one part water to two parts rubbing alcohol and apply to the window and watch it peel right off!"
   - "Use a bottle of 70% isopropyl alcohol (50% works, too, but not as well) with a few drops of dish soap. Apply liberally to the glass with a spray bottle."
   Ehow.com recommends:
   - Start your car's engine and turn the heat level to high but leave the defroster fan level on low. (You don't want to crack the windshield by heating it too quickly!)
   - Then apply a spray mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 ethyl alcohol or vinegar.
   - Don't have an ice scraper? A credit card might work to lift the ice off the glass.

Bottom Line
Visibility is vital anytime you drive. If you don’t get rid of the ice and snow on your windshield you are making yourself a safety hazard for everyone driving around you.

There have also been times when I've left the driveway with a clear view but lost visibility on the road.

• Moisture or Windshield Wiper fluid on the window froze as I drove. My windshield became coated with a lovely snowflake icy pattern that I could not see through. Solutions - use a ice prevention fluid in winter or wait for the car window to warm up (defroster) before driving.
• Road Salt coats the window - twice in my life I've had the windshield covered in road salt tossed up by cars in front me and NO wiper fluid to clear it off. During a college trip when this happened we had to stop every few miles and manually wipe the window with snow. - BE SURE to check your fluid levels in Winter frequently.

No Power on Cold Winter Nights

“Three feet of ice does not result from one day of cold weather.” - Chinese Proverb

I really like the story, Ice storm tests mettle of Harvard residents by the Harvard Press. It goes into details about how families survived in mid-winter with 4+ days without power.

Sleeping arrangements were dictated by the location of a fireplace in the master bedroom. The whole family could fall asleep while that room was still warm, alongside their cats and a pair of birds. ... the room dipped to about 42 degrees on the coldest night.

Even the four cats slept under the bed covers.

The group showed ingenuity at mealtime too, boiling water in a sterno-powered fondue pot and powering the coffee grinder from the car adaptor. Ten-year-old Julia LeBlanc used her Girl Scout training and some aluminum foil to grill ham-and-cheese sandwiches in the fire, though she found that bagels tended to burn. Their frozen food was saved by the next-door neighbors, whose home had some power from a powerful generator. To power their plumbing, the LeBlanc family tapped the five-gallon drums of water that Peter had stashed in his basement some three years ago for just such emergencies. A healthy supply of firewood kept the fireplaces burning, and Peter LeBlanc even took the time to rent a log-splitter and share it with his neighbors.

Bottom Line

If you're prepared, a winter crisis can be a time of family bonding and adventure instead of hardship and suffering. “We’ve done very well!” said Elizabeth LeBlanc.