The worst thing about a sudden ice storm is that you might get frozen in with no electricity and no communication.  Our current ice storm had several press agents at work to let us know about the storm in advance and that has let us prepare ourselves as much as possible.  The Governor has warned everyone to stay home, stay inside, and stay off the roads as the storm will get worse.  In other words, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Plan for the Worst
Pray for the Best

Perhaps the safest place to store those important documents which must be kept at home is inside your freezer -- which is already insulated.  A good Baggie should keep the other odors out.

Icy Step Number One

Draw as much water as you have containers for, with drinking water in one spot and usable water in another.  If you leave your containers open until they reach room temperature, then close them, they will help maintain heat longer even if you lose your source of heat. 

Get out your candles.  Get out your matches.  Have a candle and a few matches right near your resting spot.  If you get advance notice that the electric is going off then go ahead and light a candle or a lamp so that the sudden darkness won't cause any confusion.

People with furnaces that operate with electricity should prepare for a lack of heat.  That includes anyone with central heat and air as electricity is what makes the blower twirl.  People with vented gas heaters can get out the marshmallows and warm up the cocoa.

People with fireplaces should have a stock of firelogs or other material that burns.  If you run out of material that burns naturally you can use any absorbent material -- such as a towel for instance -- and lay it in your fireplace.  Saturate it with kerosene (for you younger generations, that is another word for lamp oil) and strike a match. 

DO NOT START ANY FIRES
UNLESS YOU HAVE A VENT FOR THE FUMES.

People who might lose the comforts of heat for the duration should prepare a room in advance where all the family can gather.  This should probably be the room nearest to the bathroom and other facilities.  Otherwise, it should be a room that you can close off and contain what little heat you have available.  Bring in your best phones. Remember that every time you open the door you will be letting out any heat you have managed to build up.

When Esquimaux get cold they bring another dog into the igloo to warm up the long winter night.  If your dogs or pets are outside animals you should consider bringing them in sooner than you need them, and provide them with a good hot bath -- prior to breathing the same air they inhabit.

One of our friends put her outside dog in the garage and provided heat out there, leaving the door slightly ajar so s/he could get in and out.  When Pat went to check on the dog at midnight she found the entire garage floor covered with dogs of all shapes and sizes.  On top of anything in the garage that was above the floor was a solid carpet of cats.  Pat didn't recognize any of them.  Where did they all come from? 

"There must be a kind of messenger service in the animal kingdom that says, PAT HAS A WARM SPOT OPEN, COME ON DOWN!"

Icy Step Number Two

Have a fresh supply handy of any daily medications your doctor deems essential to your good health. 

Food that you want to stock in that room should preferably be the kind you don't have to cook.  Cornflakes and other dry cereals, cookies, crackers, sliced ham, sliced luncheon meat, sliced bread, and don't forget the peanut butter should be your staples. If you have it, bring in lots of canned juices, raisins, prunes, dried fruits (being sure to eat slowly and consume water heartily) soups, fruit cocktail, and powdered milk.  Anything you really like to eat should be in that room before you are forced to stay in it.

If you still have time to get them -- or if you can borrow something from your neighbors -- you should have a battery powered radio, a crank type flashlight or at least one with a supply of extra batteries, An instructional manual on Emergency Preparedness, a Fire Extinguisher, bottled water to drink, sleeping bags and blankets -- add pillows if you like that sort of thing -- moisture proof matches or butane lighters. While candles are a good source of light remember that you can cook over them too if need be. Bear in mind that over half your body heat goes out the top of your head.  Cover thineself, with a fur cap if available.  Cuddle your little toesies up with house slippers and draw on your winter mittens.

Don't forget your need for a mechanical can opener.
A Swiss Army Knife can provide many tools.

For more information on emergency preparedness,
Click HERE.