Although winter doesn’t officially start for another nearly 6 weeks, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has declared today as Nebraska Winter Weather Awareness Day.
Pillen says it’s best to start preparing for winter weather while conditions are mild, adding that winter storms inevitably impact Nebraska every year.
The NOAA Climate Prediction Center is expecting an El Nino to be in place in the Pacific heading into winter, which should bring warmer-than-average temperatures to the northern tier of the continental United States – but might not.
Erv Portis, assistant director of NEMA – the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, says since there’s no guarantee of how bad the winter weather might be, it’s better to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
Portis emphasizes that “Getting ready for winter weather doesn’t just happen, it’s a choice” – so he urges everyone to “make the choice to help your family, friends, employees and everyone you know prepared for winter weather.”
He says to make a plan, stay informed, make sure all family members know what to do when a winter storm watch or warning is issued, and create storm kits for both the home and vehicle for survival up to 72 hours without any outside assistance.
Both kits should have food, water, and extra blankets as well as a warm coat, gloves and mittens, hat, and water-resistant boots for each household member..
A vehicle kit should also have blankets or sleeping bags, extra sets of dry clothing, a first aid kit, a transistor radio, and a flashlight – both with extra batteries.
From a vehicle standpoint, the kit should also have a windshield scraper, shovel, a container of sand or kitty litter, tire chains, a battery booster of jumper cables, and a tow chain or rope.