Tips for winter weather
In February of 2019, Lane County was covered with snow; some areas got over a foot. A challenging part of this was the power outages that occurred as a result. This storm has since been coined “Snowmageddon.”
Some things are left to common sense when it comes to being safe in extreme winter weather: keeping warm and not leaving your pets outside in the cold and snow.
Here are a few basic guidelines from an online guide to emergency winter preparedness. According to the website Ready.gov, for light, candles and flashlights work well. Always make sure there is plenty of gas in whatever vehicle is available. Also, be sure you know the signs of hypothermia and frostbite.
The Red Cross checklist suggests having an array of things at the ready: a list of contacts, cell phones, chargers and a battery-powered radio. Also recommended is a seven-day supply of medicine and medical supplies including contact lenses and syringes, and, of course, a first aid kit. At minimum, a three-day supply of both food and water is needed.
It is also wise to have a least one gallon of water per person and for all the food be nonperishable and easy to prepare— spam included. Pets will also need to be accounted for when getting prepared with food and water.
Guides from the Oregon State University Extension Service go into detail about stocking food and water.
Their Family Emergency Preparedness list recommends that the three-day supply of water should be two quarts for drinking and two quarts for sanitation and food preparation per person.
They also recommend spices, canned juices, ready-to-eat foods and high-energy foods. The list adds to the aforementioned first aid kit but also says there should be other medical supplies such as ipecac syrup, laxatives and activated charcoal in case of poisoning.
Keeping warm weather clothes such as hats and gloves and coats are essential — blankets, too. If needed, there is an easy blanket to make quickly: take two kinds of fleece of equal yardage. Cut one inch squares off all four corners, cut strips down the sides and tie them together in a double knotted fringe.
The respective websites for Red Cross and the OSU Extension Service have more detailed lists and information.
**This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of preparedness items but rather a menu of tips sourced from various experts and resources. The Torch recommends consulting the sources listed above for more comprehensive winter preparedness plans and assumes no liability for actions taken by readers as a result of these tips.
