Here are some quick and easy reminders about Winter time.
House:
- Don’t forget to get faucet covers.
- If you lose power, do you know where your flashlight or candles are located?
- Make sure all of your blankets and sleeping bags are in one space for easy access.
- De-icer for the sidewalk.
- Keep an eye out for the weather. Before the snow comes down, ask yourself, do I have food I can eat without cooking it?
- When the cold gets under 32 degrees let your indoor faucets drip to keep the pipes from freezing.
- Find the water main on the sidewalk. It should be somewhere on the sidewalk in front of the house. The cover is about 6 to 8 inches wide. When you lift it up, you might see two holes across from each other, when they are lined up the water is shut off. You could have a different system; I recommend you find out how yours works. You can turn it off with a special tool or wrench. I would recommend the special tool.
- “Unplug some of your major appliances. When the power comes back on, all of those appliances can create a drain or power surge. This can harm sensitive equipment. To avoid a power surge when the electricity returns, turn off computers, TVs, stereos and other unnecessary electronic equipment at the power source. Leave a light on so you’ll know when the power is restored.” Consumer Energy Center
Car
- A note to myself, I need to find my chains for my car.
- Having a little food in the truck helps out. Make sure it is non-perishable.
- I have spare clothes and blanket. Ideally, it would be great to have a CERT kit in your trunk. Click here for an example of what a CERT kit contains.
Outside
- Thin multi-layers are better than two thick layers for clothes. Survival Topic has a great article about the benefits and importance of multiple layers of clothes.
- Know the limits of your vehicle. How many SUV’s have ended up in the ditch because of drivers being overly confident in their abilities/vehicle?
Multnomah County has some great contact numbers for Winter time. Prepare and Survive Expo has helpful reminders for the Winter weather.
What are some of Your memories of January of 2004?