If you have to evacuate in a blizzard?

Answer 1

Blizzard Warnings are typically issued 12-48 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of winter storm conditions, due to the difficulty of preparation in such conditions. If you are a tourist or are concerned about being without power or road access for days, an evacuation is fairly simple. Unfortunately, evacuation routes are not posted as they are for hurricanes because the direction of approach and coverage of a blizzard's worst impacts are much more variable. As a weather forecaster, I would recommend getting gas and stocking up on food, medications, and water before any dangerous storm which can be forecast in advance. To evacuate, read locally and nationally produced impact graphics, such as warning maps, snow and ice total forecast maps, and wind forecast maps. If you simply desire to avoid days without power or road access, I would recommend evacuating to a location where the following conditions are forecast:

*Snow less than or equal to 6 inches

*Wind less than or equal to 30 MPH

*No Blizzard Warning

If you want to avoid dangerous conditions altogether, this is safer, but takes longer and often involves a more distant evacuation. The conditions I would set for this would be:

*Snow less than or equal to 4 inches

*Wind less than or equal to 25 MPH

*No Winter Storm Warning

This can be taken even a step further, evacuating beyond the borders of winter weather advisories, but this is not recommended except in rare circumstances.

You can analyze the blizzard's projected path and intensity, and set your own "A", "B", and "C" evacuation zones like they do for hurricanes, then decide which zones you believe you should evacuate beyond. An important element to evacuating in blizzards, as in hurricanes, is the "point of no return". Beyond this point in time, attempting to evacuate or return to your house for forgotten items becomes extremely dangerous because the storm is likely to bear down on your area before you get off the road. Always remember, the worst thing you can do in this scenario is end up trying to drive in blizzard conditions. In an evacuation, remember to pack most of the following items:

*Your family, pets included

*1 gallon of drinking water per person per day the storm is expected to go on, plus four additional gallons per person incase water utilities are knocked out

*1 gallon of bathing/cleansing water per person per day the storm is expected to go on, plus four additional gallons per person incase water utilities are knocked out

*Chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite solution)

*Non-perishable food for a few days worth of meals.

*A battery operated regular radio and extra batteries

*A NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards with SAME functionality.

*flashlights and more extra batteries

*First-aid supplies, first-aid book

*Glasses and contacts

*Blankets and sleeping bags

*A written list of your prescriptions and prescribing doctors and Allergies

*A week's supply of medication

*Toiletries

*Garbage bags, toilet paper, etc.

*Manual can opener

*Whistle in case you become stranded or trapped, to call for help

*Duct Tape

*Wrench, pliers, etc.

*Local maps (GPS DOES NOT work in a Blizzard. The snow scatters radio signals to the satellite, making you untraceable by GPS)

*Copies of important family documents

*Cash in bills no larger than $20 each

*Fire extinguisher

*Paper, pens, pencils

*Disposable cups, plates, spoons, knives, forks

*Sunscreen

*Matches in a waterproof container

*Activities for children

*special items for infant, elderly, or disabled persons

*Your pet's vaccination records, carriers/cages, current photos, litterboxes, bowls, etc.

*Emergency vet contact info

*Pet bed and toys

When considering this list, know that it is designed to cover any evacuation or displacement. Even your evacuation shelter (whether a hotel, family, friend, public shelter, etc) may be severely affected by the storm if its track changes, and keeping the items on this list prepares you not only in case you are displaced for several days, but also if you ride out the storm in your home and become stuck there. These tips can be applied to nearly any evacuation, blizzard, winter storm, ice storm, hurricane, tropical storm, or otherwise. Remember to use your best judgement, but if local officials advise an evacuation, or specifically a NON-evacuation (known as a "shelter-in-place"), they usually know what they're doing. Evacuating early can save you hours that would have been lost to traffic jams (evacuation traffic is rush hour x10) and get you out of potentially dangerous situations.