briansereno.com

As the hysteria is DC reached full throttle today, I enjoyed a relaxing day at home, courtesy of the postponed Wizards vs. Hawks game that I was scheduled to work at.  On account of the snowed-in conditions, I did much of nothing today, other than to catch up on some Internet reading and talk by phone with my family- quite a day.  I was also fortunate enough to stumble upon this list for full snow preparedness, which reads like it was authored for an aborigine that had never seen snow before.  I continue to be quite amused by this storm.

What to have on hand:

Extra food. Consider some foods that do not require cooking or refrigeration.

Bottled water.

Prescription medicines. Fill any you may need ahead of time.

Extra baby supplies — diapers, formula, etc.

First-aid supplies.

Flashlights and extra batteries.

Manual can opener.

Extra blankets.

Portable radio.

Backup heating supply, such as a generator, fireplace or space heater.

Snow shovel and ice scraper.

Here are a few more tips:

Charge your cell phone.

Check the batteries in your smoke detectors and flashlights.

If you heat your home with propane or fuel oil, make sure you have enough to last a few days.

Make sure your gas tank is full.

Refrain from calling 911 or other emergency services unless it is a true emergency or life-threatening condition.

Set your thermostat a few degrees lower.

Make sure the account information on file with your electric utility is correct. Have the number to your utility handy, should the power go out.

AAA Mid-Atlantic offered these tips for driving in heavy snow:

Don’t drive, unless completely necessary.

Ask yourself, “Is this trip really the wise thing to do?”

Dress warmly, in case you get stuck.

Carry a cell phone in case you break down.

Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to arrive.

Carry a snow emergency kit: shovel, snow scraper, booster cables, blankets, flashlight, flares, sand and salt.

Slow down. Stopping distances are 10 times longer in heavy snow.

Use major routes that have been treated.

Don’t pass snowplows and spreaders. Make room for them.

Don’t spin your wheels. You’ll only dig in deeper.

Your car’s emergency kit should include the following:

Cell phone

Blankets/sleeping bags

Extra clothes

Sand or cat litter

Shovel

Scraper

Jumper cables

Tool kit

Flares

Knife

High calorie, non-perishable food

Other