Did you know that 900 people die from winter storms each year? Well, if you want to not be one of those people, read on to find out how.To most people,winter storms are one of the worst freaks of nature if you are underprepared because it can take out power, water ,and communication.
1. LEAVE THE HEAT ON. This is very important because if you don’t,there is a chance you could get pneumonia or another cold-related disease.The temperature you should keep the thermostat is 65℉ to 75℉.If you do not have power,close the interior and exterior doors ,and then put a towel or blanket under the door to block drafts.Next, carefully light a candle or a wood stove/fire to add some heat .”Keeping heat in a winter storm is important because there is lots of snow, which is very cold, and that makes cold air drop down to our level, which leads to cold-related diseases such as hypothermia, influenza, and many others” says Anhad Kataria.
2. TRY NOT TO GO OUTSIDE. During a winter storm,there is a high risk of going outside whether you are going by car, bike, or foot.If you do,avoiding ice is very or is very important.Especially black ice because it is almost completely transparentSee, the black ice looks like it is not even there.But it is…
3. BUNDLE UP. If you absolutely need to go outside, make sure to bundle up with a coat,gloves,a hat,snow pants( if it is snowy).You should have a 100 gram per square inch insulation or higher on clothes and a 400 to 600-gram count on footwear.
4. HAVE ALL THE SUPPLIES. This is one of the most important steps.Once you hear a Winter Storm or Blizzard WARNING or a WATCH,check to make sure you have supplies for at least 1 day.You can buy emergency preparedness backpacks for 1-4 people for 1-5 days,but that could easily drain your wallet anywhere from $50 to $300 .If you want, you can create your own Emergency Backpack with these supplies:Water,about 1 gallon per person per dayFood,non perishableFlashlightFirst Aid kitPhone with charger and portable batteryCan OpenerBatteriesA battery or hand-crank radio A NOAA Weather Radio
5. LISTEN. There are some very crucial words you have to listen for.These words are like the tornado sirens of your city.The two words are Winter Storm WARNING and/or Blizzard WARNING.Some other words to listen for are Wind Chill Temperature and Winter Storm Watch.What to wear in winter, according to the weather.
6. RIGHT BEFORE THE STORM. Right before the storm, you can do a bunch of things like listen to the radio so you know when to go into shelter, check that you have replenished your supply kit,and lots of other things.Also, charge your phone if it is LOWER THAN 50%.
7. DURING THE STORM. All the stuff before, was just easy preparation stuff, right? Now comes the fun part.What to when you get attacked by snow ,wind, and all of that stuff.First I am going to tell you about what to do if you are staying indoors.The next part if you are going outside.Lastly, I will tell you about driving during a storm.
8. STAYING INSIDE DURING A STORM:WHAT TO DO. If you are inside during a winter storm, you have the best chance of staying safe. There is lots of things you should do to stay warm and safe. The first thing you should do is get your phones and check that they have full battery.Then just in case anything happens, put all your important things, like cash, insurance and other documents , and phones with chargers in a ziplock baggie.After all of that is done, everybody should stay in the same room to preserve heat.The last thing is to listen to the radio, or the news to know when you can stop sheltering.Actually, it is more being cautious than sheltering because you don’t have to go to a certain place ,like over or underground.You can just stay in the same room.
9. DURING THE STORM:WHAT TO DO WHILE GOING OUTSIDE. You really should not go outside during a winter storm, but if you urgently have to, here are some tips.The biggest thing is that you should avoid as much ice as possible.Also, make sure you wear all the clothes mentioned in step 3 and in the chart.Another thing to avoid is overexertion, like shoveling snow or pushing a car.Last, but still very important, WATCH the other people and yourself to check for hypothermia or frostbite.Some symptoms for frostbite are: redness or painin any skin area, numbness, a waxy feeling, or a completely white/pale or grayish yellow skin area.Some hypothermia symptoms are: shivering, memory loss, fumbling hands, confusion, drowsiness, and slurred speech.
10. DURING THE STORM:DRIVING. I think driving during a storm is a bad idea.But, if you absolutely have to, you should check if they have a public transit service there, for example CapMetro(Austin,TX), SmartBUS(Metro Detroit), LYMMO(Orlando,FL).If you cannot find any public transit, you can drive but be very careful.Here are some tips to drive.You should keep some food and warm water i case you get stranded. Also keep a charged cell phone with you.If possible, travel with 2 or people and during daylight.This is the MOST IMPORTANT thing: watch for ice, fog, and other conditions that make driving dangerous.Something that could happen while winter storm driving.
11. AFTER THE STORM. After the storm, there are still some little quick steps.The 1st thing is to check that no one got any thing like frostbite or hypothermia. If they do, first warm them up as much as possible then if they are still very cold(under 95℉) seek immediate medical attention.Next is listening to the news to check driving conditions and instructions.Last is that you do a quick check on all of your family and friends to make sure they are safe.And that’s it.Your complete guide of winter storms.
