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People have died trying to walk even short distances to a building. If you get stuck, call 9-1-1 to report your position if you can.
1. Run your engine 10 minutes per hour to warm the car
2. Open a downwind window about 1" while the engine is running
3. Check the exhaust pipe routinely to ensure it's clear of snow
4. Conserve your cell phone batteries for emergency use only
5. Call 9-1-1 with an update every hour if help has not arrived
6. Use whatever is available (your survival kit!) in the vehicle to keep yourself warm.
7. Don't leave your vehicle
8. Stay with your vehicle until help arrives
Strong winter storms are part of life on the Palmer Divide. But it’s easy to survive them, by doing five simple things.
No matter what kind of vehicle you drive, do not drive it in a snowstorm. We rescue just as many people from four-wheel-drive SUVs and pickup trucks as we do from minivans.
If you get stuck in a snowdrift, it may take hours for emergency responders to reach you. And those people are in danger when they go out into the storm. It's better for all of us if you stay home, warm and safe!
Like our neighbors the black squirrels, Black Forest households should keep at least a week’s worth food and water on hand. Two weeks is better. Good choices are non-perishable foods that need little or no cooking, such as canned foods, powdered milk, or peanut butter.
Remember the special needs of everyone in your household: the very old, the very young, and even your pets and livestock.
Your emergency stockpile should include a first aid kit, and an extra supply of your prescription medications and medical supplies. If you use home oxygen, make sure you have enough on hand to get you through a storm.
If your home has a water well, it will stop working when the power goes out. Store several days' worth of drinking water (1 gallon per person, per day) in clean, food-grade containers. When a storm approaches, fill cooking containers with more drinking water, and fill bathtubs with water for flushing toilets.
When the power fails, so will most home heating systems. But it’s better to be cold than to risk death from carbon monoxide poisoning.
You cannot see or smell carbon monoxide, but it’s a killer. At low levels, it causes flu-like sickness that can gradually put you to sleep and kill you. At high levels it can kill you in minutes.
Carbon monoxide is made by burning things such as wood, charcoal, kerosene, or natural gas. To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, avoid all unsafe indoor burning:
Carbon monoxide poisoning feels like the flu, but without the fever: headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, disorientation. These feelings often go away when you go outside to fresh air. If you, or your family, feel this way, leave the house right away and call 9-1-1.
Winter weather usually arrives in Black Forest before it gets to the city.
When snowstorms gain strength, many companies release staff early. But by then, it's often already dangerous to drive north of Woodmen Road.
If you work in the city, arrange to come home earlier than your city co-workers. If conditions deteriorate quickly, consider spending the night in town.
During large snowstorms, the American Red Cross usually opens free shelters for stranded travelers. But even if you must rent a hotel room, that will cost less than a tow truck or a hospital stay.
If you get stuck in a blizzard, a winter survival kit can help you shelter in your vehicle until rescue comes or the storm lets up. See the box at right for a list of what to keep in your car or truck.