As we face down another winter in the Northeast with fond thoughts of snow days and hot chocolate in our heads, have you given any thought to preparing your home for a winter emergency? Our next two posts will offer some ideas for winter preparedness at home and on the road.
In addition to following the directions for house maintenance offered to you by your inspector, you may want to pack and maintain and emergency supply kit, stored securely in the same place so it can always be easily found, in area that’s flood free and a container that’s rodent-proof. A heavy-duty bin (or two, depending on family size) will do just fine, and you should think about having a period of about 72 hours covered, if possible.
Keep Cautious
Pre-fab First Aid Kit–you probably have most of this in a bathroom First Aid stash, but it’s not a bad idea to have a spare in your kit in case you need to grab-and-go.
LED flashlights–We leave one per floor of our house in case of an unexpected power outage. A spare one or two in your kit is advised.
Batteries
Cash–if there’s a need to evacuate, finding a working ATM and/or gas station that takes a card might be challenging.
Medication–whatever you use daily, plus pain reliever and stomach medicine, as needed
Pet food and medication
Water
Keep Connected
Cellphone charger
Cellphone charger backup (Mophie, or the laptop you remembered to charge fully when the first flakes fell)
Wind-up radio (These are available with built-in cellphone chargers)
Walkie-talkie with a friendly neighbor
Landline–if there’s still an argument to be made for landlines, it’s probably the possibility of a storm taking out power lines for an extended period of time. If your home is in a remote area or if you have mobility issues that might make a walk to the closest neighbor for help difficult or dangerous, it’s worth considering a landline.
Keep Comfortable
You’ll need to take your specific circumstances into account when planning for an emergency. Electric heat? You may want to consider a back up alternative or the purchase of a generator. Gas fireplace? Have a plan to move the family bedding downstairs for a fireside slumber party. Your house needn’t be 70 degrees for you to be comfortable, but think about what your cutoff point would be. With enough wool blankets, even 50 might be bearable, but have a plan for if frostbite or frozen pipes become a risk.
One of the best meals I’ve ever eaten was made on our neighbor’s woodstove October 6, 1987—two days after the ice storm that knocked out power all over the Capital Region. They made Kraft macaroni and cheese with cut-up hot dogs from their rapidly thawing freezer, and some kind of cheesy rice from a box. We stirred up some Kool-Aid, opened crackers, and Andes’ candies and dug into the first warm food in a couple of days; it felt like a celebration. In other words, small comforts make a big difference in trying times, and your kit is a great opportunity to keep that in mind. You’ll use these items to supplement whatever staples you already happen to have in the house:
Instant Coffee (caffeine withdrawal headaches really stink)
Moist toilettes
Clorox wipes
Mess Kit (paper plates and plastic silverware. Or, if avoiding plastic, buy your utensils at a thrift store.)
Paper towels
Manual can opener
Hand sanitizer
Matches
Smoked trout/oysters
Tuna
Nut butter
Dark chocolate
Whole Grain Crackers
Nuts
Jerky
Protein bars
MREs
Jarred tapenade or vegetable spread
Excellent Granola
Canned peaches
Pasta and sauce (if you have a woodstove, fireplace, or gas range)
Fun junk food. No electricity means limited entertainment opportunities, and food can be one way to bring the fun. Maybe the extra calories from the triple chocolate cookies you only allow yourself during a blizzard will serve to keep you warm!
Additional tips:
The American Red Cross and Ready.gov provide printable versions of shopping lists for emergency preparation. They can be a little overwhelming (and costly) in their thoroughness, though, so just remember you don’t have to buy everything on the list, and you don’t have to build your kit all at once. Prioritize your family’s and home’s needs. Then, add items to your weekly grocery list and buy a few things at a time, starting with the safety list.
Keep pet records and family documents nearby. For example, if you keep them in your file drawer, maybe your emergency bin can be stored on top of your filing cabinet. If there’s every need to go to a shelter or hotel, you can locate those quickly and take them along.
Check through your kit annually to discard expired food or medication.
Once you stock your kit, label it with the contents, so you needn’t start your list from scratch when it’s time to restock.
Next time: stocking the winter emergency kit for your car!