photo: Sister72
So how do you prepare for a winter storm?
Heating
Make sure you have some way of keeping warm if the electricity goes out. If you already have a gas stove or heater then you are set. If not…you might be in trouble if you wait till you need it.
The winter storm of 2009 caught me unprepared…we had to go to multiple stores looking for heaters and ended up stuck with a kerosene heater for a bit. They do heat well but the smell gave me a headache and they are a bit harder to use than propane heaters.
It was days before we able to find a propane heater and lots of places were out of full propane tanks too. It is much easier if you already have a heater and a tank.
Light
You also need to make sure you have an alternate source of light. Especially if you are a reader like me. With no television or internet…you are definitely going to need something else to keep you busy and sane. This is a good time for board games or card games too. You need light for those too!
So a good supply of long burning candles for general lighting is good to have. And you should get them before you need them too because the stores will run out during an actual emergency. There were no candles to be found anywhere for days after the storm of ’09. Lamp oil was also in short supply so if you have lamps (better for reading than candles!) make sure you have some extra lamp oil on hand too.
And batteries for flash lights can be really expensive and in short supply as well…so it is a good idea to keep some on hand.
Food and cooking
You will also need a way to cook your food for a few days. If you already have a gas stove then you are set! If like us your place is all electric then you will have a problem. You can use a propane BBQ grill if you have one and have the propane too. Or a small camp stove. In the storm of ’09 we did both.
Since the freezer wasn’t working we grilled all the meat we could and lots of boiled foods for the first few days. It helps to have items that easy to fix. If your power is only out for a short time you may not need to worry about this. Ours was out for 17 days in ’09.
Much of this will be true for other kinds of emergencies too. You may also need to have a supply of water on hand for some. It wouldn’t hurt anyway.
What have you done to prepare for storms and other emergencies?
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
We had a bad ice storm when our youngest was 6 months old. The power was out for about 4 days. We ended up going to my parents’ house about an hour away. All the hotels around us were full.
Someday soon we will have a gas generator. Last Winter we had no snow at all so no worries. We did get a lot of rain and a flooded basement. Now we have a battery backup for the Sump Pump.
laura recently posted..My Guilty Pleasure: Crap TV
That’s the same storm we had…wow 17 days!! Now we’d probably stay home and I’d use our camp stove. We’ve camped in a tent with it being in the 30′s so we’d be okay now at home.
laura recently posted..My Guilty Pleasure: Crap TV
Great suggestions. Living in Vermont, we get a lot of winter storms. We make sure we are stocked up on food for us and the pets as well as first aid supplies. You never know what you might need.
Ellen Christian recently posted..Dr Seuss Birthday Ideas
Great advice! We don’t have to really deal with a lot of winter storms or emergencies, but it’s a running joke in the South to run to the store for “White Bread and Milk”! :)
Lindsey G recently posted..What Do You Think About Toddlers Learning a Second Language?
We live in a bad area for storms, and this is all great advice. After we lost power for 8 days with Sandy, I’m always prepared now.
Nikki recently posted..Nobody Has to Know Book Tour: Bump the Stickers
We lost power for 10 hours during Winter Storm Nemo – it was due to the heavy wet snow on many of the lines in our area. We have a gas grill (for cooking), but no alternate source of heat. The temperature in our house fell to 55 degrees. Since the storm, we’ve been looking for gas fireplaces and are considering a generator!
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The same hurricane that tore up new Orleans, sent its wind up our way. It broke off telepone and light poles, Our community was without power just over a week. We were on vacation visiting family, and if we had come home a day earlier, we would have drove right into it, and then would have been stranded. Our own home is in a sheltered valley and was fine except for power. We invested in a gas generator and was able to hook up the refrigerator and freezer. Those cold showers were a bit much but at least we had water. In hindsight, we wish we would have gotten a bigger generator.
These are great tips as we have another storm approaching. REALLY hoping we don’t need to use them :)
Karen recently posted..Sopapilla Cheesecake
Twitter: mryjhnsn
February 24, 2013 at 11:17 AM
Holy cow! It is hard to imagine a life without electricity but thanks for the reminder to be prepared!
mryjhnsn recently posted..Oh for the Love of Pinterest! Issue 4
Although we’ve had a very mild winter in Georgia, it’s still good to be prepared. Great suggestions!
Angela recently posted..Easy Home Repairs That Will Save Money
Being in the south we typically don’t lose power for snow (or even get snow at all, some winters!) but I agree it’s always good to be prepared. We have lots of candles and flashlights, should we need them. I need to look into getting a heater to use if the power went out as well!
Kecia recently posted..Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rise of the Turtles on DVD 2/26
Twitter: beingtazim
February 24, 2013 at 5:48 PM
Definitely good to be prepared for the worst – we don’t get many snow storms, but rain warnings need to be prepared for, still.
As much as I understand that this is hard time for everyone, but I can’t stop be amazed how pretty it is
Lena recently posted..How Not to Look Stupid Falling Off the Bike
We definitely need an alternate form of heating. I wish we had a fireplace!
Cecile recently posted..Samsung Chromebook Giveaway!
Twitter: FabFindsbyTiff
February 25, 2013 at 2:06 PM
This winter instead of sleet and snow we are getting overloads of rain. Geez. It seems never ending.
Tiffany C. recently posted..March Photo A Day Challenge 2013 #7SDDPhotoADay
We had an ice storm last week. We’re all prepared with a generator, wood burning stove, propane for the grill, water, and plenty of candles! A couple years ago we had no power for almost a week after an ice storm came through, so now we’re prepared!
Linette recently posted..How To Make a Glinda The Good Doll Cake- Oz The Great and Powerful
Twitter: newlywedsurvive
February 25, 2013 at 4:09 PM
Nice to see a practical list…it seems like people in our area run to the store and stock up on milk and bread but nothing else! They have no way of dealing with the important issues like heat and electricity!
Stacey recently posted..Saturday Spark – Let the Games Begin!
Twitter: twitter.com/greeneggs_amber
February 25, 2013 at 7:10 PM
I wish I was a prepper, but sadly I’m one of those “deal with it when it happens” types.
Amber K recently posted..Clean Up with Windex Touch Up Cleaner
It’s nice to be able to prep for a storm, any storm! However this summer we had a microburst in our area and no warning. There were a total of 10 telephone poles broken in half, and more than 20 trees completely uprooted just in a 3 block radius! It was bad!
Maria recently posted..Diverticulitis: What You Need to Know When It Affects a Family Member
we are getting yet another storm tonight! is winter over yet?
candice recently posted..Chobani Banana Muffins | Tasty Tuesday
Yes, those three are indeed very necessary when it comes to winter preparations. Maybe for me, food and drinks and heating is the most important thing. I would also recommend that you also have some medicines in your medicine kit cos we never know what will happen and you can’t go out to buy one.
We were without power for about a week or more after a bad straight line wind storm in 99 or 2000. We lost so much food it was bad. Despite living in WI all my life we’ve never really prepared that thoroughly for winter storms. Stores are always busy right before a big one though as everyone stocks up in water.
Darcy recently posted..Refreshing My Look at Bella Lei Salon Spa
These are great tips, and there is a part of me that wishes I “had” to do some of this. But I’m in Texas so not much of a chance. My husband is from Michigan and always misses the snow.
janet recently posted..5 steps to a 5 minute DIY haircut {layers for long hair}
Twitter: GiveawayBlogdom
February 27, 2013 at 9:59 AM
What great tips. Living in rural Colorado we try to be prepared for anything mother nature throws at us but have never had to worry about going without for more than a few hours. I couldn’t imagine days!
Brandy Myers recently posted..The Jungle Book: Rumble In The Jungle Makes Movie Night Perfect
Twitter: thenewclassy
March 2, 2013 at 12:27 PM
Grilling all of your food so that it doesn’t go bad is a great idea. What did you do with the food after you grilled it? Or did you only have what you could eat?
Dawn
Twitter: Elleberra
March 9, 2013 at 3:39 PM
We had the neighbors over for dinner! There were six of us here at the time too. Some of it we just kept and ate as long as it was good. It was cold enough outside that we could keep it for a bit out there(refrigerator not working) so long as we put it where the dogs couldn’t get at it.
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