Blog SNOW and supplies
In March 2021 our area had a bit of snow…. The weather service had been forecasting this bit of snow for well over a week. So this was or at least should not have been a surprise. We ALL knew it was coming and the projected amounts. Hummm OK by the time the snow stopped our area had OVER 30 inches of snow. The storm lasted a few days. During this time we monitored the area’s communication systems. At one point our lights flickered and came back on. A few blocks over the lights went out for about 36 hours.
Some of the calls for services made good sense. In the areas that lost power people were calling for oxygen supplies because their oxygen concentrators were not running at home. Most folks have enough bottled oxygen to last 12 hours and then they are gasping like fish out of water. Trust me this is NOT fun! SO, people were out on snowmobiles and snow cats getting bottled oxygen to those in need. Many home bound people were stuck as their care givers could not get in to tend to them. Others who had 24 hour care, the staff were stuck there as they could not get out and relief staff could not get in. in at least one case someone died at home and the family had to wait with the body for …. Too long.
Like I said, I CAN understand this.
What I can NOT understand are the people who did not have even a weeks worth of insulin and other life sustaining medications on hand. Many types of insulin are available over the counter in most states. Generally you can refill your medications a few days early and over time build up a small stockpile of you life sustaining medications. DO NOT ask for CDS/narcotics early nor extra.
People were calling EMS because they were out of insulin and other things… SAD that people don’t or can’t think ahead.
My building was literally snowed in for many days, even the post office was closed. Of course we did not expect to get deliveries anyway we could not get out and they could not get in. one of the tenants has a life alert button and some how it accidentally got activated. It took EMS almost 2 hours to travel what is normally a 10 minute drive. They had 2 snow plows clearing the roads for them to get in. only to find that it was a false alarm. This sort of thing happens.
Crime was WAY DOWN that week.
There was still snow drifts 3 weeks after the snow stopped. Many roads remained closed for over a week and many that were ‘open’ only had one lane of travel. Only the main roads were mostly open.
Neighbors helped each other. A friend after shoveling out her driveway, cleared the walkway for an 80 year old woman who lived down the street form her and then she dug out an old couples vehicle because she knew that they had doctors appointments to get to later that week. She did not have to help those old folks BUT she is a good person and wanted to help out. The next day there were 6 missionaries who had cleared the walks in their neighborhood and went to the senior apartments and cleared their walkways and dug out their cars.
Lessons learned. Many times you are on your own IE YOU are your own first responder. That is just life. Plan ahead.
When the weather people tell you a storm is coming- get ready!
You do not have to be a weather man to tell which way the wind is blowing stay alert to what is going on around you!
Talk to people and make friends. Get to know those around you – what their strengths are AND what their weaknesses are [and how YOU can help them]. Lone wolves are NOT normal and will die early on.
Remember ARK – Acts of Random Kindness are good in and of themselves. Be nice.
Cross ref
http://www.preparesurvivethrive.us/re-hydration-drink/
http://www.preparesurvivethrive.us/journaling/
http://www.preparesurvivethrive.us/comms-part-1/
http://www.preparesurvivethrive.us/general-preps/
http://www.preparesurvivethrive.us/stockholm/
#ARKtime