JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
Brace yourselves, winter is coming.
The most important thing to do before winter's arrival is to be engaged with the community and develop a preparedness process.
According to ready.gov, nearly all Americans, regardless of where they live, are likely to face some type of severe winter weather at some point in their lives. Winter storms can range from a moderate snow over a few hours to a blizzard with blinding, wind-driven snow that lasts for several days. Many winter storms are accompanied by dangerously low temperatures and sometimes by strong winds, ice, sleet and freezing rain.
The 633rd Air Base Wing Ground Safety Office supplied the following information about driving safely during the winter:
During cold weather, vehicles require special attention. For instance, do not race the engine when starting it because the oil has not yet circulated and will result in excess metal-to-metal contact. Racing the engine provides no heating advantage.
It is important to clear the vehicle of all snow and ice. Drivers should also check the following:
- Wipers are in good working-order
- Windshield washer fluid tank is full
- Anti-freeze is 50 percent water 50 percent coolant
- Battery and belts are in good condition
- Oil is winter-grade
- Tires have good tread, pressure and are in accordance with owners' manual recommendations
- An ice scraper is somewhere in the car
Chris Born, Joint Base Langley-Eustis emergency manager, recommends three steps in preparing for severe weather: have a plan, stay informed and build a kit.
- Have an emergency plan in place and know what to do before severe weather strikes. Exercise the plan with your family and post it at home where visitors can see it. When tailoring plans, consider working with others to create networks of neighbors, relatives, friends and co-workers who will assist each other in an emergency.
- Discuss personal needs and responsibilities and how people in the networks can assist each other with communication, care of children, pets and specific needs like the operation of durable medical equipment or perhaps how to inform someone with a hearing loss about impending severe weather.
- Find out how the local government emergency management agency will notify the public for each kind of disaster and sign up for additional alerts through social media and local news. Be sure to understand these local warning systems and share knowledge with coworkers and friends. The best way to stay informed on base status and information is on the JBLE website or the JBLE smart phone application. The application is free and available on iTunes and Google Play by simply typing "JBLE".
- Build an emergency kit that contains first aid and survival items, such as water for each person, non-perishable food, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, flashlights, first aid supplies and more, which can be found at ready.gov/basic-supplies-kit.
The following links can help in preparing for severe weather:
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Be Ready Air Force
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Ready Army
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NOAA/National Weather Service Severe Weather Awareness Website:
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FEMA's Ready.gov website
Another free app for iPhone and Android devices that provides emergency planning and guidance is vaemergency.gov/News/readyvirginia/mobileapp.
For more information, call the 733rd Mission Support Division emergency management office at 878-6801, or Chris Born at 574-1086.