Winter Preparedness

WINTERIZE YOUR FAMILY

Winter is a fact of life in Saskatchewan and when a blizzard hits, getting around can be very difficult, even dangerous. Swift Current Emergency Preparedness urges you to winterize your family by planning how you will best manage a disruption in your routine during a blizzard. An effective plan includes what you will do before, during and after a blizzard; and covers all aspects of the normal daytime and evening routine/activities for each family member. Plan to take care of your family’s needs for a minimum of 72 hours during any emergency, including a blizzard.

BEFORE A BLIZZARD

• Monitor local media for developing weather situations. It is best to anticipate a storm rather than be surprised by it.
• Plan a safe place for each family member to go if they cannot make it home.
• Plan a way to contact each other.
• Include an alternate plan in case cell phone coverage is disrupted.
• Plan to reunite your family.
• Include an alternate plan in case you don’t have enough gas in your vehicle, it breaks down, or Transit service is disrupted.
• Contact neighbours to see if you can work together to deal with potential problems associated with a blizzard i.e. power outage or transportation.
• Have on hand at least a three-day supply of food, water and medical requirements.

DURING A BLIZZARD

• Stay calm.
• Avoid travel.
• If you are safe where you are, stay where you are.
• If travel is unavoidable make sure you have:
• Enough fuel.
• A vehicle emergency kit.
• A winterized, reliable vehicle.
• Check out local media for weather updates, road conditions and the level of civic services available.

POWER OUTAGE

• Stay calm.
• Do NOT run portable generators inside. They create carbon monoxide which can silently kill.
• Do NOT connect portable generators into your home electrical system. They will feed power back into the grid and become a hazard to workers trying to restore power.
• Battery operated smoke and CO alarms will work during a power outage, hard wired ones will not. Have both in your home.

Use a portable radio, cell phone, or tablet to monitor local media, social media and City web sites for information.

AFTER A BLIZZARD

• Assess the damage to your property, if any.
• Check out local media regularly for the level of civic services available.
• If you must travel, plan your route accordingly. The first priority for City snow clearing is to ensure movement of traffic on the major streets, and access to emergency locations.
• Be prepared to move your vehicle if you live on a designated Snow Route street/street segment.
• Exercise caution and care when shovelling snow, especially during very cold weather.
• Re-evaluate your family’s Winterization Plan.