Getting your home winterized and ready to survive the snow is an essential step once the cold winter months begin to approach.  One of the most important aspects of being prepared for those winter snowstorms is the creation and maintenance of a set of emergency supplies for your home.  The supplies needed for a snowstorm will vary depending on where you live and the intensity of your weather, but there is a set of basic common items that everyone should keep ready in case of a heavy snowstorm emergency situation.

Being ready for snowstorms means being prepared to live for several days stuck inside your home without power.  It can sometimes take days for power companies and snowplows to respond, especially if you are in a remote area, so you need to be ready to survive the wait.  Your most pressing concerns will be staying well-fed and warm without any power.  To this end, a gas powered camping stove or barbecue grill is a must to be able to cook without electricity.  Be sure to keep plenty of fuel for it as well.  To keep yourself and your family warm, have an ample supply of extra blankets and winter clothing.  Keep at least one snow shovel so that you can dig yourself or your car out when you need to.  You should also keep a supply of rock salt and sand to melt ice and improve traction.  Other emergency supplies that are not winter-specific but still essential to have around are: flashlights, matches, a first aid kit, a battery operated radio, and a pocket knife.

Stocking up on food and water is a key part of snowstorm preparedness as well.  That gas stove won’t do you any good if you don’t have anything to cook on it.  You should try to have enough non-perishable food and clean water to last you and your family at least a week.  Make sure that you have a manual can opener on hand for any canned goods.  Your food supply should be purchased in advance; don’t be one of those people who wait until the night before the big storm to rush out to the grocery store and try to fight the mob for the last can of beans.

Once you have the basics, you should check out this guide put out by the CDC.  They include some other things that are smart to have in your home, as well as some extra ideas/practices to consider during a snowstorm.  If you’re snowed in and need help getting out, give TalkLocal a try. This completely free service will connect you to multiple snow removal companies in your area within minutes.

Severe winter weather can be unpredictable. Sometimes only a few degrees is the difference between a blizzard and freezing rain. As winter approaches, it is important to prepare your home for severe snow and other severe winter weather. Follow these steps to learn how to prepare for a snow storm.

Have the basics on hand before the threat of a snow storm:

·      Shovel

·      Flashlights

·      Food

·      Can Opener

·      Blankets and warm clothing

·      A camping stove or barbeque grill

·      Matches

·      A battery operated radio

·      Prescription medications

·      A wall phone with a cord, or a portable cell phone charger

·      Any other household necessities, such as diapers, formula, batteries, etc.

Winterize your home and any other buildings you or your family will use during a storm.

·      Insulate walls and attics, caulk and weather-strip doors and windows, and install storm windows or cover windows with plastic.

·      Clear rain gutters and repair roof leaks in order to avoid clogging and flooding.

·      Place salt on your sidewalk and driveway. This will make them easier to shovel after the storm.

·      Cut away tree branches that could fall on a house or other structure during a storm.

·      If necessary hire a contractor to check the structural strength of the roof. Make sure your roof can withstand the unusually heavy weight of snow or water.

·      Insulate pipes with insulations and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing.

Anticipate a long power outage.

Decide what to do with the food in your freezer and refrigerator.

·      If the power will not be out for long leave the doors closed, keeping the air inside, and your food will most likely be fine.

·      If it seems like the power will be out for one or more days move the food. With the winter weather, there will be plenty of cold to store your food. Frozen items can be left outside (keep an eye on the temperature) and refrigerated items left in an enclosed porch or other cold area.

·      Eat perishable foods first, keeping canned goods for more lengthy outages.

Keep tabs on your family members.

·      May sure you know where everyone in your family is and that they have proper shelter before the storm hits.

Stay aware of approaching storms.

·      Watch weather reports, listen to emergency radios, and pay attention to the warnings at the top of your TV screen warning you about storms.

Keep warm

·      Already have a fire or furnace running before the storm hits. Keep blankets on hand. Drink hot liquids and eat hot foods to stay warm.

Have entertainment on hand

·      Make sure you can stay entertained in the event of a power outage.  Keep entertainment such as books, board games, cards, crafts, and other electric-free entertainment in the house.

If you end up getting snowed in during a big storm, use TalkLocal to connect you to a highly rated, local snow removal company. Simply enter a brief description of your service needs along with your location and availability, and TalkLocal will do the rest.

Do you have a driveway and walkway covered in freshly fallen snow?  It’s that time of the year again– time to bring out the shovel and start clearing the sidewalks.  However, remember that shoveling snow can be a potentially dangerous task, and it is very important to practice safety when shoveling snow to avoid any injuries.

– First, it’s likely going to be very cold, so dress in several layers before starting.  As you get warmed up from shoveling, you can easily remove layers.

– Snow shoveling can be a rigorous activity, so be sure to drink plenty of water before, during and after. Warm up before beginning by taking a walk around outside or stretching indoors.

– Pace yourself while shoveling.  This is especially important for the elderly because shoveling can be very physically demanding and can sharply increase your heart rate.  Don’t risk a stroke or heart attack because you’re not used to such a strenuous activity.

– Protect your back.  It’s important to bend with your knees as opposed to bending over with your back when lifting the shovel.  Tighten your abdominal muscles as you lift and try not to use too many twisting movements.  It may even be easier to push the snow to the side, rather than to lift.

– Listen to your body.  Work at a steady pace, and if you are feeling pain, take a break.

– Pick the right shovel.  Plastic shovels usually weigh less than metal ones.  Shovels with smaller blades are also easier to lift and maneuver.

– Avoid caffeine or nicotine before you start shoveling.  If you have a history of strokes, heart attacks, heart disease or smoking, please contact a doctor before taking on this task.  Safety is always most important.

If you have too much snow to remove on your own, or you’d feel better hiring some help, try using TalkLocal, a completely free service that connects you with high quality snow removal companies in your area.  Simply enter in your problem, location and availability, and TalkLocal will do the rest.  Save time searching for the right company, and let TalkLocal do it for you.

There are several different routes you can take when trying to figure out how to find a snow removal service. Unfortunately, it is difficult to search and ultimately find a service near you. It is inconvenient to call multiple snow removal services (once you find them) just to find out that the big storm that just hit town made all of the company’s lines go busy.

If you live in a big city that has to accommodate snow each year, you may notice how a few feet of snow are cleared very quickly from the streets. At the same time, you may see on the news that another state received a few inches and had to close school. Whether you are in the big snow city or in the fair weather city, you need to be ahead of the game and get your snow cleared so you can go about your day with ease.

Snowfall facts

– New York, Alaska, Michigan, and California are the states with the most average snowfall per year.

– Washington D.C. alone gets an average of almost 15 feet per year.

– Chicago averages about 38 inches of snow each year.

– Surprising to some, Arizona clocks very high on the list due to snow coming from the mountains.

 Snow removal options

Whether you are a business owner, homeowner or kind neighbor, these are some great options to clearing snow out of the way.

1.   Call TalkLocal. This free service will connect you to a snow removal company in your area within minutes. Simply enter a brief description of your service needs along with your location and availability, and Sl will connect you to multiple businesses willing to help within minutes.

2.   Check out this do it yourself snow removal service. This method is much quicker and less taxing than the typical shovel.

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