Called a friend of mine last night - she lives in New York City - to discuss Birdman and the outcome of the SAG awards, when I happened to mention the impending storm. "Really? There's a storm? Coming.... here?" she queried casually. You can probably imagine my response.
New York City, along with Boston, and just about all of Southern New England and the mid-Atlantic coastal areas will be feeling the brunt of this storm, which is projected to bring 2-3 feet of snow to much of our area. The eastern half of Massachusetts and all coastal areas will also get high winds and blizzard conditions. That includes, of course, New York City. And managing a storm like that in a place like New York City is daunting to say the least. Just figuring out where to put the snow is an almost impossible task.
My friend mused on how funny it is that New Yorkers freak out when the corner Starbucks closes due to a few inches of snow. I responded by explaining that New York's EMT services will be accompanied by the National Guard. You can see our heads were in slightly different places. The EMT thing did make an impact, fortunately. "Why ever do they need the National Guard?" she asked with surprise. She may sound ditzy to you, but I assure you, she's a well-regarded lawyer, generally very asute and clever about things. Apparently not the potential impact of weather.
After about 10 minutes of relaying all the potential impacts of a storm of this magnitude, I seemed to have broken through her fog of denial. "Oh gee," she said, "is there something I should do to prepare?" Turns out she just happens to have a fireplace and wood (something I don't even have, mind you, which definitely put a damper on my "more prepared than thou" attitude), but on other counts, she was glad for the checklist.
So on that note, if you aren't already working with your own checklist, there's still time to prepare before hunkering down to ride this one out:
- Make sure to have a two-week supply of your family's medications, including any pet medications needed.
- Have at least a few days' food, water, and supplies for infants, young children, pets, and others in your family that may have special requirements.
- Make sure to have a radio, working flashlights, and extra batteries.
- Charge your phone and charge back-up chargers before the storm starts. Keep your phone charged up as much as possible ahead of and during the storm.
- Have extra blankets, and winter gear like hats, gloves, and scarves on standby and in your car in case of emergency.
- Fill your gas tank before the snow starts, as gas stations need electricity to run, so they could close down if the power goes out.
- Make sure you have cash - ATMs close down when there are power outages. You may also want to take care of any bills that you might normally pay over the next week.
- WMECO suggests turning your refrigerator to its coldest settings ahead of the storm to help food last a couple of extra days if there is a power outage. Alternatively, it's going to be plenty cold after this storm passes, so storing food in a cooler outside (with a latch that animals can't open) is another option I've used in past storms.
There - that's the short list. All things you should be able to take care of this morning. Massachusetts officials are asking all non-essential personnel to be off the roads by later this afternoon through Tuesday.
And if you want more to do, along with emergency numbers, check out the Town of Amherst's emergency preparedness brochure, here.
Stay safe, everyone, and enjoy the snow!
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