Winterize your car
The Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management recommends getting your automobile ready for winter conditions by taking the following steps:
Check your tires and make sure your chains fit before the first winter storm and check tire pressure during cold weather.
Get a vehicle winter maintenance check-up. Don't wait to check your battery, belts, hoses, radiator, lights, brakes, heater/defroster and wipers.
Keep your fuel tank full — don't let it fall below half a tank on winter trips.
Program your radio for traffic reports and emergency messages.
Keep a basic winter survival kit in your vehicle: flashlight, batteries, blanket, snacks, water, gloves, boots, first-aid kit.
Load your car with winter travel gear: tire chains, ice scraper/snowbrush, jumper cables, road flares.
While the rest of the country was stocking up on candy this Halloween, residents in the Northeast found themselves in need of more practical supplies when an unexpected early nor’easter dumped 30 inches of snow and wiped out power to more than 3 million homes.
Emergency management officials say the surprise snowstorm should serve as a wake up call to Ohioans to get their homes, vehicles and businesses ready for winter well in advance of the first big snowfall.
According to WHIO-TV meteorologist Jamie Simpson, the Dayton area could see measurable snowfall Tuesday night.
October’s Northeast snowstorm was blamed for at least 11 deaths, and states of emergency were declared in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and parts of New York. Many cities set snowfall records weeks ahead of the usual first measurable snowfall. The average date of Dayton’s first measurable snowfall is Nov. 21.
The National Weather Service has said most deaths from winter storms are indirectly related to the storm itself. People die in traffic accidents on icy roads and of hypothermia from prolonged exposure to cold.
“(These deaths) are completely preventable,” said Jeff Jordan, director of the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management. “By taking the proper precautions you can keep you and your family safe.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends every household have an emergency kit on hand year-round that includes enough drinking water and non-perishable food to last three days, a battery-powered radio, flashlight and extra batteries and first-aid kit along with necessary medication and toiletries.
For winter, it is recommended that the following items be added to that kit: rock salt to melt ice on walkways, sand to improve traction, snow shovels, sufficient heating fuel and/or a supply of dry, seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove and adequate clothing and blankets for the whole family.
Although travel should be limited during a winter storm due to dangerous road conditions and possible emergency road closures, it is recommended to also have an emergency kit in each vehicle.
“If you would happen to get stranded and are not able to walk out, you can make it through,” Jordan said.
That kit should include a shovel, windshield scraper, flashlight, battery powered radio, extra batteries, water, snack food, extra clothing such as hats and mittens, first aid kit, blankets, road salt and sand, emergency flares, boots and a tow chain or rope among other items like medications.
Jordan said another common danger during winter storms is improper use of alternative heat sources when the power is out.
“If at some point you’re using an auxiliary heater or fireplace, make sure they are properly maintained,” he said. Heat sources should always be kept away from flammable materials including walls. “We can hardly get through a winter without a fire caused by a kerosene heater,” Jordan said.
FEMA warns homeowners never to use a generator, grill, camp stove or other gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal burning devices inside their home, garage, basement, or any other partially enclosed area.
To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, locate units away from doors, windows and vents that could allow gas back indoors. Carbon monoxide detectors should also be installed throughout the home.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2124 or kwedell@coxohio.com.
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