News

Were you prepared for the back-to-back winter storms?

Details: Published: Wednesday, 26 January 2022 10:57

Were you prepared for the back-to-back winter storms?

January sure has brought some wild weather to Lunenburg County so far. The January 14/15 storm brought snow, freezing rain, high winds, and extended power outages, all while experiencing cold weather. The January 17/18 storm brought more snow, rain, high winds, and power outages, followed immediately by much colder weather the next day freezing the mess on the ground.

Did you lose power?
Did you have an alternate heat source?
Did you have food?
Did your pipes freeze?
Were you unable to travel due to impacted roads (trees, snow, power lines, etc.)?
Did you check on your neighbour?
Did your neighbour check on you?
Did you go to a comfort centre, or know you could go to get warm and charge devices?
Did you lose landline or cell service?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, with another storm forecast for this weekend, it’s a good time to think about how you might be able to better prepare for a future storm or emergency.

Some options to prepare for future emergencies may include:

Having an alternate heat source, wood stove, generator, or an indoor portable heater. If you are using an alternative heating or cooking source, ensure they are approved for your type of household and there is a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector in your home for additional safety. To get more information visit https://novascotia.ca/lae/fuelsafety/.
You can go to a neighbour, family member, or a comfort centre. The list of comfort centres can be found here https://lunenburgremo.ca/comfort-centres.html and will be updated when facilities open. These are run by volunteers and are open based on resource availability.
Purchasing food in advance and having non-perishable foods like canned meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, granola bars, cereal, crackers, etc. A camp-like stove or BBQ to heat food outside – do not bring these cooking instruments indoors.
Insulating your pipes in the event of a power outage to keep them from freezing.
With roads unable to be plowed in some areas due to power lines or trees on the road, it made it difficult to get out for assistance. Being self-sufficient or coordinating with a neighbour can make these events easier. Neighbour networks are the best and most efficient way to check on each other and share equipment between households.
Having a cell phone is an additional option instead of just a landline, but they can go down in bad weather. If you have a cell phone, having a backup charger can assist to keep it charged, and texting reduces bandwidth. If phone lines are down, checking on your neighbour in person is helpful if safe to do so.