Weather or not – it happens! We have had one of the longest winters ever – especially if you are not a snow lover. I personally, don’t mind the snow, but it has been a bit stressful with all of the school closings, late openings, etc. My biggest impact, since I have a little girl in Kindergarten, was a larger bite out of my wallet this winter to pay for childcare.
And, Fredericksburg isn’t the only area that got hammered with a very harsh winter. You have heard it all! The polar vortex and record-breaking storms. Now we have mudslides and earthquakes! I won’t bore you with any more thoughts about this but I would like to mention the importance of being prepared.
When you think of being prepared for a storm do you think toilet paper, milk and eggs? Being prepared is much, much more than just making sure that you have the essentials that you will need from your local grocery store.
I am the person that plays the “what if” card. I don’t mean to be negative or the bearer of gloom and doom, but we should always be prepared for an emergency.
Think about this. How prepared would you be if one of your children were hurt from flying glass from a tornado or if you lost your electricity for a few days? I remember the year that we had a snowstorm on Super Bowl Sunday. All of our neighbors left for a hotel for several days. At our home, we started the generator to watch the game and cranked up the wood stove for heat. You know that this is not likely to happen, for us to have earthquakes, tornadoes or hurricanes, but we could). I have lived in this area for 22 years and never thought I would ever really experience an earthquake and I would be ok if I never had to experience it again! I was only 20 minutes from the epicenter when it happened.
Some of the things to keep on hand at all times, no matter the season, are:
A well-stocked emergency kit. This includes things that can stop bleeding quickly. Believe it or not, female hygiene products are great for this! Also, different sizes and types of bandages. Ointments and creams that help the healing process. You get the point.
Water. Losing electric also means that we lose water to drink, flush toilets and cook. It is pretty amazing how we forget how much we rely on water for everyday needs.
Ointment for cuts.
Latex gloves (or other type in case of allergies).
Cell phone – fully charged
Tweezers – multitude of uses
Essential Oils – The list of uses is too long (Specifically Lavender, Peppermint, Lemon, Thieves, Frankincense, Purification, Peace and Calming, Panaway)
Flashlights – and extra batteries
A small pile of wood- this can be used to keep warm and cook if necessary
Sleeping bag or tent for shelter
Be prepared for an emergency. We will soon be in hurricane season and just one or two big storms can make a huge impact. We don’t need a large amount of storms scheduled in order to feel as if we should be prepared and organized.
Weather or Not – I hope that you will take responsibility to be prepared.
Editor’s Note: Linda Clevenger is founder and president of Organization Direct. She works to find solutions that fit your specific needs and then helps you implement habits to keep you organized. This is the first of her weekly columns on Fredericksburg.Today.
