Be prepared

Dear Area Residents:

As you may have noticed, we got some snow this week. Yes, I heard it is the most snow in 8 years, but 5-8" is not that unusual for us. You acted like the world was ending. The grocery store shelves were stripped nearly bare. There has been no school for 3 days.The story is consuming local media. What do I want to tell you at this point? It is winter. This happens. Suck it up.

People have been griping that many area businesses haven't closed. I have zero sympathy. I work for the state. We basically don't close. Our office has been open normal time every day. My previous employer took the same view. We are grown-ups. This is not school. There aren't snow days unless you want to use your PTO to have them.

I am amazed at how ill prepared people are for what is basically normal winter weather. I saw several people out in the snow in tennis shoes. I mentioned the run on the grocery store. Do people keep no food at their house? Any time much snow is predicted, there is the obligatory news story of people rushing the hardware store to buy shovels, etc. To save yourself some drama, here are some basic preparedness things you can do.

1. Keep some food in your house

This seems like common sense, but from what I see, apparently not everyone does this. You should be able to eat for at least a week off what you have on hand. It can be expensive to build your stock. Instead of doing it all at once, buy a couple of extra items when they are on sale and build them over time. Try to maintain a minimum stock of essentials so that are never forced to go to the grocery right before a storm.

2. Have the appropriate gear

You need items that will enable you to deal with the elements- snow boots, waterproof gloves, long underwear, hat, scarf, etc. For your car- a small shovel & scraper at a minimum. 

3. Plan for commuting accordingly

If you refuse to drive in the snow, make sure you reserve some PTO. Not going to work is a choice. If you are nervous driving in snow, find a nice big empty parking lot and do some practicing.  When the snow hits, leave early, drive slowly, keep an eye on the vehicles ahead of you to help anticipate issues, and keep as much distance between you and other cars as possible.

Would I rather be on the beach in Hawaii right how? You bet! But since we're not, let's take the appropriate steps to weather the storm as best we can. Preparation is key.