Gulf Coast Weather And Emergency Preparedness

Here on the Gulf Coast, when you hear “weather preparedness,’ the first thing you think is “hurricane.’ But an afternoon of severe thunderstorms with a few twisters also can wipe out power lines for up to a couple of days. Have a “casual emergency kit’ for those times.

For a minor weather emergency, keep drinking water for two days. If your local water service is affected, you won-t be able to drink city water and won-t have electricity to boil it.

Keep food on hand that doesn-t require electricity to prepare. Packaged cheese and crackers or just a loaf of bread and peanut butter and jelly will do for a day or two. And have a couple flashlights, a lantern, and fresh batteries handy for after dark.

With a minor weather emergency, you usually can get out to a grocery store, even if you have to go a little farther than usual. Get a couple bags of ice for the perishables in your refrigerator and put everything in a cooler.

Then create a picnic-like atmosphere with your kids and relish the time away from the computer and the TV. OK, having the lights off is inconvenient, but it-s just temporary.