South Eastern America was in harsh receipt of an early winter this year, with storms blanketing much of the coast and moving inland in early December. As if that weren't bad enough already: next they (and the rest of the US) got hit by a “weather Bomb” in January. I'm not going to go into meteorological events because the press have already done that to death – what I am going to do is tell you how to prepare for these things – from my venerable position as a time-served Scot.
In Scotland, when the weather comes we're usually ready. Down south they close roads and panic buy in the local Supermarkets (that's our version of a Mall, to you guys) while up north we dig out our big jackets. There is a snow shovel sitting by every single back door, a gritting truck that comes just about every night, and we're so used to our cars becoming useless that it's not uncommon to find them abandoned in long lines on the side roads mid-winter, to be collected by angry pedestrians at a later date. While England calls off the rail service our parents turf us out and tell us to walk to school – and yes – your mother sees that blizzard, she just doesn't care.
So... As American's, what can you do to prepare for a snowstorm? Easy... loads. The aforementioned snow shovel, for one. Get it in September and keep it within reach of the back door so you can dig yourself out if you have to. It also never hurts to have as big a bag of salt as you can keep in the cupboard, just in case you need to de-ice.
Your Home
Preparation is key here. You want to stock up on a few tinned goods, frozen foods and dry products. Anything smoked or salted is good, and UHT milk powder is a great idea. There's always the chance that the pipes will freeze outside and you'll have no water, so simply freeze a few two litre bottles and then you will always have them for an emergency. Heat and light are important, so try to make sure you have an adequate supply of both, possibly with a backup if you can. Electric heaters will work if the gas supply stops or vice versa. Most importantly – don't rush to the store and buy all the bread... it will go off in five days, there's really no point.
Your Car
Again Preparation is key. During a Snowstorm you might be trapped anywhere, and your car might end up your best bet at shelter for the night. Did you know Scottish made cars don't have a cool setting on their air conditioning unit? There's never any need... At any rate, you should have blankets in your trunk, a first aid kit, plenty of water, some emergency snacks and a whole bottle of de-icer. Pro-tip? Don't use hot water to defrost your windscreen because there is a good chance it will crack.
So, with a little luck and a lot of hope there won't be any more snow bomb's in the future – however, if there are, at least now you will be prepared for them!
