The newscasters are predicting that a winter storm will slam the New York City area , bringing many of our neighborhoods and cities to a complete standstill. Before you rush out to just purchase loaves of bread and milk, consider these tips to truly prepare you and your home for a blizzard:
Prepare for Power Outages
The heaviness of ice and snow may bring down power lines leaving entire neighborhoods without electricity for a long period of time. Make sure you have a good supply of candles, matches and flashlights (with batteries!) as well as a battery-powered radio. Charge your cell phones and tablets and make sure you know where they are.
Stock Your Pantry
If there is a power outage or you are literally “snowed in” and can’t make it to the grocery, you want to be sure you have food on hand that can sustain you and your family such as peanut butter, whole-wheat crackers, canned meat (like tuna), canned vegetables, cereal and bottles of water. Don’t forget to have a non-electric can opener on hand! Here is a great list of more ideas from Real Simple magazine.
Think Warmth
Keep everyone warm by stocking up on blankets, gloves, hats and socks. Consider your alternative heat sources in case of a power outage like a wood burning stove or fireplace or kerosene heater, making sure you have the supplies needed to use them. Also, increase the efficiency of available heat by closing off all rooms except the one that needs to be heated and covering spaces around doors. Checkout more ways to keep everyone warm from our blog.
Be Ready to Stay Indoors
Go out ahead of the storm to get necessary items like toilet paper, diapers, prescriptions and any over-the-counter products that may be running low. Get out your board games, puzzles and cards—giving you something to do while you wait for conditions to improve. If you have kids, get materials for some great craft projects such as these ideas from Martha Stewart.
Talk to us: What are you doing to prepare for this winter storm?
image courtesy of flicker CC/Barbara L. Hanson