With summer not that far behind us, you might be reluctant to start thinking about winter. However, it can be very important to plan for the cold weather that the season brings. Severe winter weather can come up fast, and how you prepare for it can impact how you and your family are able to respond to the challenging situations it can create.
There are various steps you may want to take to get ready for the upcoming winter season, including making winter emergency kits.
Your home winter emergency kit
Severe winter weather can sometimes leave a family stuck in their home for an extended period of time. It can also lead to a loss of power, a loss of communications, and hazardous sidewalks and roads. Therefore, it is important for families to have a winter emergency kit in their home with supplies for dealing with such situations. Among the things you may want to include in your kit are supplies related to:
- Heating: Such as portable heaters, extra coats, blankets and sleeping bags
- Lighting: Such as flashlights and battery-powered lamps/lanterns (and spare batteries for them)
- Health: Such as a first aid kit and medicine
- Communication: Such as a battery-powered radio, spare batteries, and spare portable power sources for cellphones
- Addressing icy surfaces: Such as ice-melting products, sand and cat litter
- Food: It’s recommended to have at least a week’s worth of food on hand. Canned goods (make sure to also include an opener) and no-cook foods are the best to have so they don’t spoil. Also, make sure to have drinking water.
Your car winter emergency kit
It can also be important for families to have emergency kits in all family vehicles. Winter weather can create dangerous driving challenges, and there can be major risks for auto accidents or breakdowns. You don’t want to get caught broken down out on the roads in winter without the proper supplies.
Things that may be wise to include in a car emergency kit are:
- Food (non perishbale)
- Water
- Communication and signaling supplies
- Spare batteries
- First aid kit
- Equipment for addressing snow and ice (like shovels and scrapers)
- Vehicle repair and maintenance equipment
- Navigation gear (like maps and a compass)
- Blankets and spare winter clothes
Winter will approach more rapidly than we would like to admit, so make sure you’re prepared for whatever it may bring!