To All Residents,
There is a storm brewing to the south of us and it could have severe consequences. We have a polar vortex descending from the north and a warm atmospheric river rising up from the south, reportedly coming through Texas and heading north through the Carolinas. When those two systems meet, tentatively on Sunday, there will be extreme chances of heavy snowfall and high winds. I am listing below a number of things you need to do to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
1. Shop now. Make sure you have a supply of water, and dry goods in case you lose power and are unable to cook.
2. If you are on oxygen, insulin, or other life saving prescriptions, check your supplies.
3. Get the candles out or acquire some. You’d be surprised how much heat a few candles sitting in a sink can produce. Put an oven rack over them and heat up soup.
4. Make sure your cell phone is charged. VOIP phones such as that of Cogeco will not work during a power outage. If you have a small solar charger they work perfectly and will keep you in contact with the outside world. They are not very expensive and could save your life.
5. During extremely cold temperatures, run a very thin stream of water through your taps. Pipes burst frequently here. A little extra on your water bill during a crisis will be cheaper than paying a plumber a lot of money to fix a broken pipe.
6. Keep a flashlight or two handy. It gets extremely dark at night without all your gadget lights glowing green, red or blue.
7. Do not try to keep your driveway clear. That is the least important job until the storm breaks.
8. Stay in touch with family or friends outside or inside the community who may be worried about you.
9. As long as you have power, tune into The Weather Channel (268 on Cogeco) or your favourite weather app on your phone if you have data during a power outage.
10. If you have a Kindle or Kobo. Download a good book or two. 54 hours is a long time to be cooped up in the dark with nothing to do. Such was the case starting around 8:00 a. m. December 22, 2022 and running to just after noon Christmas Day.
Remember this. You are responsible for your own safety. You can not rely on your neighbours or your block captain during a crisis situation. They are in the same predicament you are in during an emergency. Especially during a blizzard and/or a power outage. If you have family or friends close by who are better equipped to take care of your needs please make arrangements with them for accommodation especially if your only source of heat requires electricity.
Newer residents who have not yet been approached by a block captain or have questions concerning emergency situations feel free to call me at 905-382-6273. I will also be manning my cell phone if things get ugly.
Kind Regards,
Dave Backshall
Block Captain Coordinator