Are you prepared?

All this talk about Hurricane Sandy which is being called the “biggest storm to hit the United States of America” raises one very important question:  Are you prepared for a storm?  If you lose power or be stranded in your home, are you prepared with a survival kit?

Although we don’t live where the tropical storms hit, we are at times affected by the tail of a tropical storm or hurricane. But here in Canada, we are threatened by many other types of storms.  For approximately four months out of the year we should always be prepared for a winter storm.  Winter storms can at times trap us in our home, close roads, knock trees down due the weight of the snow, cause power outages and more.

Ice and snow can have a huge impact on our survival like we witnessed when the Ice Storm hit Ontario, New Brunswick and Quebec in 1998.  Over four million people in Canada were without power as a result of that storm.  Hundreds were injured and several people died due to hypothermia.  What about the “largest power outage in North American history” in 2003 that left millions of people without power for days.  Although this outage happened in the summer months, were you prepared?  For some people having no power means being without water, heat, light and more.

Get Prepared Canada offers information on basic emergency kits, automotive emergency kits, additional emergency kit items, and locations to purchase emergency kits.  This is a great place to start to ensure you are prepared for the unexpected! http://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/kts/bsc-kt-eng.aspx

No matter what type of storm we are faced with, whether it is the tail of tropical storm or a winter storm, we should always be prepared with a survival kit in our homes.