KEARNEYSVILLE, W.Va. — Some wintry weather may be coming our way as soon as Thursday morning.
Jefferson County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Steve Allen has some tips:
He says pack some essentials in your vehicle before heading out, including comfort food and water and:
From the Jefferson County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management:
–With winter approaching, be sure to look through your emergency kit and add supplies specific
to winter. Some additions could include warm clothes, boots, gloves, a shovel, an ice scraper, a
snow brush, jumper cables, first aid kits, non-perishable foods, and water.
— Winter weather can cause power outages that last for days or weeks, making it hard to keep
warm, taking out communication networks, and making travel very dangerous. Heavy snowfall
and extreme cold can immobilize an entire region.
–During a winter storm, minimize your travel by car. Even if winter weather conditions are not
obviously present, conditions like black ice can cause vehicles to lose control.
–Before the storm hits, download free smartphone apps, such as those available from FEMA and
the American Red Cross, which provide information about finding shelters, providing first aid
and seeking assistance for recovery.
— Make a Family Communications Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes,
so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together
and what you will do in case of an emergency.
–Be prepared to bring your pets/animals inside in the event of a winter storm. Move animals and
livestock to a sheltered area with non-frozen drinking water.
JCOHSEM also encourages residents to sign up for Nixle, Jefferson County’s Community Alert
System. Nixle provides the residents of Jefferson County important, timely, and accurate information
about emergencies in the county directly to your mobile device. This service is free to you and
provides you the necessary information that you need to keep yourself, your family, your friends, and
your neighbors safe. In order to sign up for these alerts go to https://local.nixle.com/register/ or, text
your Jefferson County zip code to 888777 to opt in. The West Virginia Department of Transportation
also urges you to “know before you go” by checking traffic and road closure information at wv511.org
before heading out the door.