Living in Indiana, we honestly could have tornadoes one day and a blizzard the next. Not exaggerating either. We never know what we are going to get. Here's what I do.
-Have winter gear, bibs, coats, gloves, hats, scarves all stored in one area. Ours are hanging on a rack with a tote of gloves, hats, etc. sitting on the floor right next to the rack.
-Have a Kerosene heater AND a can full of Kerosene on hand. Don't wait until right before a winter storm hits to A. Test the heater to make sure it's going to work and B. To buy Kerosene. If the town goes out, that is a resource that will be hard to come by. Have it already. Pay attention too. We have 2 heaters and one of them requires electricity to run the blower. In the event of a power outage this won't do you any good unless you have a generator, which we do not.
-In your car have a kit. We store ours in a laundry basket in the back of our Suburban and trunk of Larry's car. Our car kits that we drive around with include.
A shovel that has a retractable handle
Extra gloves for each family member
Extra socks for each family member
Grab your boots on the way out the door each time you leave, if you're not wearing them
Blankets for each family member
A First Aide Kit with the basics
Matches
Old Newspaper
Kitty Liter, to pour under tires for traction if you run off the road
Tow Strap, if your in a car have one too in case a truck drives by to help but doesn't have one.
An Index Card with Names, DOB, Emergency Contact Info and Dr. Names and Numbers
Packets of Handwarmers like hunters use
Box of protein bars
Cell Phone Chargers
Coloring Books and Crayons for children
-A Grill. Yes, those aren't just for summer enjoyment. Should the power go out you will need a way to cook.
-Propane or charcoal for the grill previously mention. Have an extra tank or bag. Don't wait until the last minute. Have them on hand at the beginning of the season.
-Peanut Butter, canned goods, and can OPENER that's not electric.
-Gallons of Water, you'll see this in the next blog post too.
-Wood. We also have a wood burning stove in our garage. Make sure to move the wood into a dry space too and not just outside where it will be wet due to being snow covered.
-Candles
-Flashlights with Batteries
The truth is, in the event of a winter storm. The option to head to a family members house or hotel might not be there if the roads are bad. Be prepared to stay home in any condition, meaning with out electricity or heat.
If you are on the roads--be prepared for a slide off that your going to be stuck for a while. We don't like to think about that type of stuff happening, but it does--so be smart about it and be ready.
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