A Winter Survival Guide
Tips for surviving a winter storm, or a night trapped in your car
People have relaxed to the dangers of winter. No matter how well prepared you are, the quality of your vehicle, the gadgets on your cell phone, the truth is, it only takes a few feet of snow to cause a life threatening situation. These tips will prepare your for any winter emergency.
Before winter begins:
• Educate yourself on local weather patterns.
• Create two family disaster kits, one for home, and one for the car. Things to include are high calorie complex carbohydrates, water, flashlight, candles, camping sleeping bags, warm socks, wool hats, a radio, road flares, painkillers, plastic bags to line boots, thermal mittens, and toilet paper.
• Rotate tires, tune up the car, and use anti-freeze.
• Clean furnace filters and chimneys.
When disaster strikes at home:
• A power outage will turn off all electric heaters and the furnace. Move the family into an interior room, with no windows. Bring in pillows, blankets, and the survival disaster kit, and food.
• Seal the crack under the door, and tack heavy blankets over the door, to reduce heat loss when someone must exit the room. If the room becomes damp, it will feel chilly. Open the door and allow an air exchange.
• Use a thin sheet, flannel, then heavy blanket covered by a sleeping bag to keep warm. The thin sheet is vital.
• Wear several layers of loose fitting clothing and a warm hat. Prepare everything before the house is cold. Nylons or tights can make a dramatic difference in the loss of body heat.
• Drain as much water as possible before the pressure is lost.
• Remember that you cannot use the toilet.
• Do not use camp stoves or heaters. Kerosene or other camp stoves will deplete the room’s oxygen supply in a sealed room.
• The family barbeque is useful for cooking and making warm drinks.
• Hang a colored sheet where rescue workers can see it.
• Body heat, and three or four candles, will often prevent hypothermia.
• Only use candles if there is no risk of gas leaks.
• Turn off all major power sources.
When an accident strands you in an automobile:
• Turn the car off, unless you are certain the exhaust pipe is not blocked and there is no gas leak.
• Everyone climb into the back seat and wrap the blankets completely around you, not just over you.
• Light one or two candles to keep the air warm enough to breath.
• Keep the car cleared of ice and snow, including the roof. A buried care is invisible to snowplows and search vehicles.
• Do not walk to a house in the middle of the night. The temperature drops too fast. Remain with the car.
• Remain awake at all times.
• Keep hydrated.
The instinct to go for help is strong, but is a sure way to become the next fatality. Weather conditions can change instantly in a storm. I track storms by satellite. It is not uncommon to see a storm front move 200 miles thirty minutes. A few minutes of clear sky, or a wind change, can drop the temperature ten degrees in a matter of minutes. By the time victims realize they are in danger, it is too late.
Frostbite is always a threat. Move feet, and check the skin. Watch for tell-tale white signs. The best cure is to rub the skin vigorously with a rough towel. Do not use skin to skin contact as this might warm the area too quickly causing irreparable damage.
Confidence and ignorance are killers. Never attempt to navigate closed roads. Do not remain in an idling car. Remain in one place, and let rescue vehicles come to you.
The most important rule is to keep moral up. A positive attitude and ingenuity can turn a disaster into a passing inconvenience
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