Tag Archives: Storm Safety

Winter Preparedness Is Vital!

good safety, Safety, Storm Safety, ,


 

Hello  Everyone,

Yes, we are bombarded with unprecedented storms, hurricanes, and tornados as well as forest fires in some areas of the earth.

The time is now to get ready for all you do to protect yourself, your family, and your home.

Here is a list of things you can do now to get prepared.

  1. The Snow coming:  Get the shovels and salt ready. You can place them in your car and at your home.
  2. Listen to the weather station as often as you can as soon as you hear the alert there and on your phone. (you can sign up for weather alerts on your phone with the various apps to download.  The Google Store is where you check for apps in general. (for those who might not know.)
  3. Pack extra gloves, hats, blankets, and coats in your car as a backup.
  4. Include in your car, healthy snacks, and bottled water. This should ber a go-to for all times.
  5. Extra phone chargers and plugs are wonderful when you need them.
  6. Keep your tank full if you can.
  7. Look for higher grounds if you are in a low-ground area or close to the ocean.  i noticed that with these hurricanes, so many cars were damaged.  If only the push for moving your car to higher grounds was not suggested, let alone yourself! And while we are talking, move the animals to a shelter, even if in another state to protect them.  We must do things differently in the future, because, we just don’t know when and where the next storm will hit.
  8. .  Start sending those pictures to other relatives to preserve your pictures or download them on a disc that has a lot of GB and/or sent to the cloud-include all important documents as well.
  9. Waterproof safety boxes are great and finding a place to either bury in the ground or sent to a safe place is an option.
  10. Medication is important to have ready and in a waterproof container.  List all of your meds, medical contacts, medical history, and anything important to you on paper, take a picture, and include it with the download on a disc. Send a copy to another relative you trust as a backup.
  11. Talk to friends and relatives, about plans of evacuating and possibly moving in with them in the event of an emergency.
  12. Information is everything and your life is important. When they say evacuate, Please Do!
  13.  Helmets make sense to have available considering the number of debree that could hit you outdoors or inside.  Also, wearing boots and changeable clothes will help so if you get on dry ground,  you can get some comfort.
  14. I spoke about placing your personal items in a backpack in case you need to relocate. It frees your hands to hold other things, like your children and pets. Included in your backpack should be PPE we are using in the covid-19  pandemic-gloves, sanitizers, masks and hand wipes. Include a garbage for clothes that might get soil and sandwich bags to store small items.

These are just some reminders that might be useful to think about for the now and the future. Do return for other ideas.

Thank you for visiting my website as I pray for those who lost their loved ones, homes, and livelihood in the recent storms.  My gratitude to all who are on the ground helping in any way they can.  Every little thing one does is appreciated and will help to rebuild their life. Support from others in any form will get many people back to some normalcy if only for a small bit.  Food, water, shelter, and Love are at the top of the list!

By Thelma Harcum

Your "Go" Bag

Mindful Tips To Take In Case Of an Emergency

Safety, , , ,

Preparing for an Emergency With a “Go” Bag

Hello Readers and Friends,

How are you doing as we face yet, another battle of the storms? Global warming is hitting hard in the images of unprecedented storms, flooding, tornados, and all that go with it!

Getting involved in a storm with a tornado just down the street is no joke either-along with the threat of a tornado, which did hit several areas in NJ and did unprecedented damage!

A friend of mine in Florida and I were talking about the storms that have been occurring over the recent years, and how devastated people are when they lose everything.  My heart and sympathies go out to them because it could be me!

What we discussed, was the “what if it happens to us?”,  I agreed to take her and her family in if they do get hit with a devasting storm and she said like-wise-if anything happens to me.   I believe this is a good thing to discuss because it would be a part of the emergency place that we all should have.  Who could you move in with if your home is totally or even partially destroyed?

What can you do now to prepare? Even if there are no storms, Making copies of your most important papers and placing them in a waterproof box, can be a real asset. Placing some extra cash in there is also great.

Another thing is that it seems, that access to clean water, can be helpful enough for your family for at least a week.   Sometimes, the emergency crew might not be able to get to you in a timely manner, if you live deep in the woods or country areas with lots of trees.  You can live a long time without food, but not without water.   I would start stocking up a little at a time. You might have to share with your neighbors who might have planned as you.

Preparing your “go” bag is important.  Whatever you need for the next 3  to 7 days.  Extra medicine, clothing, shaving equipment, for some of us, wigs, denture adhesive, mouthwash, deodorants, combs, hand sanitizers, gloves, masks, and whatever you think is important to maintain some sense of comfort.  If you have a Rolodex, take it with you; if you don’t have one, make one.  When the phone loses its charge, at least you have a backup!

Food is important when you are under stress.  Place healthy protein snacks in your “go” bag that will last for 3 to 4 days.  Take a copy of your medications in the event you need to be taken to a hospital.  If injured, you might not go to the hospital of your choice-especially if they are full to capacity or non-functional.  This leads me to say, include an emergency kit of some sort.  Just the basis- bandaids, gauze, tape,  ace wrap, peroxide or witch hazel for cleansing, a topical antibiotic cream, hydrocortisone for itching.  If there is flood water you walk through, who knows what’s in it and so an anti-itch cream is great to have.
Sif Jakobs Jewellery

This might not have anything to do with a storm, but I feel as though that all mothers and perhaps fathers too, should keep a pair of scissors with them. I had an experience where my granddaughter outgrew her baby carrier and she twisted herself in it with the strap pressing on her neck. Cutting the straps was faster than trying to unwrap her. These days, they have the mirrors facing the baby so you can see them as you drive.  I was glad I stopped the car as she was making unusual sounds that even her mother was not aware of something wrong!  Well to Toys r us we went! Car Seat! Car Seat!   Follow your intuition is a good thing even if you are wrong.  There is a 6th sense, yaw.

I hope you think the word “back-up” as we move through the season and pray for the best!  Surely to goodness, we have enough going on as it is.  Though we might lose material things, you can always get them back, but not your life.  For many of us, life will never be the same, but at least you are standing on your own two feet and will make adjustment as time go on.

by, Thelma Harcum

Please add your comments on this subject. I will update this article from time to time.

Update:

What you prepare for a “go” bag for a child is also important. You might need to add an infants formula, water bottle, diapers, medicines, nose or mouth suction bulb for any secretions from the nose or mouth, clothes, a toy, or book(something from home can mean a lot to anyone who has posted everything), and anything else you might need if you have to go in a hurry to safety.  Eating utensils like a spoon can be helpful for feeding your baby and a sippy cup for drinking that has a built-in straw.

**   Ok, here is one of the best tips of the day for emergencies that I just thought of.  What is it?  It’s a whistle.  Yes!  If you are buried under rubble, hopefully, not, it’s a great thing to have on you or in your bag to let rescuers know where you are.  Guess who’s going to go out to buy one!  Yes, me!

Talk to you soon, meanwhile, go out and make something happen good. Not just for yourself, but for someone who’s feeling pretty down these days.  A smile cost nothing to give at this point. A joke is even better! Laughter is good for the heart and soul!

by Thelma Harcum

Update. . . .

** Speaking of the “Go” Bag, with the recent severe storms we’ve been having lately, it’s not a bad idea for you and your children to have what I believe is easy to carry are, backpacks. Backpacks leave your hands free to carry other things such as a frightened pet who might run away.  Placing them in their cage will be helpful!   Don’t forget to pack a “go” bag for them as well.  Make sure you label everything and also have your pet’s name on their collar along with their address and phone number.  Not a bad idea for children to have an ID on them as well; especially, when you know that there is an imminent storm, tornado, or strong winds in your path.  Unfortunately, many children are lost when there are storms, earthquakes, and tornados. When the weatherman says to “take shelter” ,  please do it, because they have the facts right in front of them and do believe it!  Wherever, you go, keep away from windows!

If you’ve been warned about a severe storm coming your way, evacuate the area if you can and perhaps send your pets and children to another place to live temporarily before the storm.  Every week, check your “go” bag and try not to take anything out of it unless it is expired.  Always water in each bag.

Please return to this article, because, there will be more updates.

Check this site for resources to help you if your home is damaged and you cannot return to live in it.  www.ftc.org   I was very impressed with the information that the website has. You can share the information or copy it and place it in the emergency “go” bag.

Don’t forget to add a garbage bag for dirty clothes in case you need to go to a shelter.

In this day of a pandemic and severe storms occurring at the same time,  it’s all about masking, handwashing, and keeping a distance wherever you are-especially if you are to stay in a shelter.  Even though you are vaccinated, the variants are of a different breed;  mutating stronger to stay alive, which means it wants a host.  Let’s not have that be you!

Stay safe, Be grateful!!

Thelma Harcum (More Tips Coming !)

VACCINATION AGAINST THE CORONA-19 VIRUS AND VARIANTS SAVES LIVES!!!!