How Devastating Can An Ice Storm Be?   Watch out for the ice storm! Ice on trees, trees on cars, downed power lines (cold houses) and yes - crazy driving conditions is what an ice storm is all about. If you've been through it, you know what I'm talking about! If you live in an area in which this is possible, you need to be prepared. It might have been many years since you've had to deal with it but sooner or later it will sneak-up on you and "boom", you're in the dark - with no power and no heat! The best time to prepare for this is now (not after the power goes out and you're left scrambling on how you're going to keep your family warm when the temps drop down to 5 degrees. First, to give you an idea what I'm talking about, watch these amazing ice storm videos:
Montreal Storm of 1998
Downed trees make a mess of the road:
"How do I prepare?"Well, first of all, It would be a good idea to have plenty of bottled water on hand. If you don't have city water in your home (well water) and the electricity goes out - your well pump will also go down and you will have no water. Also, another tip for those of you on well water: If you know of a storm coming and the chance of the power going out is high - fill your bathtub with water. You can use this water to "flush" your toilets after you go (you'll be glad you did after all that you ate the night before!).One more very important water tip: If you are without heat in your house (and it might be awhile before you get it back), turn your water off to your house (at the incoming source). Then open all of your faucets to flush the remaining water out of the pipes. If you don't do this, you could have a huge mess on your hands when your water pipes freeze and break open. Secondly, have some sort of back-up heating source. If you have electric heat - you're going to get cold. If you have a gas furnace (powered by a electric blower) - get the winter coats and hats ready! A wood or corn burning stove, a fireplace, a kerosene heater, a natural gas or propane fueled heating unit is they way to go. Look into these options and don't get caught off-guard. And lastly, of course, you should have food. Have plenty of something on hand that you can eat without heating-up - this will keep you alive (maybe)! Seriously, use common sense and be prepared to feed your family and yourself - this just might be the perfect time for breaking-out that propane grill and having a winter time cook-out!
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