Summer is just around the corner! Here in Victoria—where our store is located—the cherry blossoms and other spring flowers have already come and gone, and warm days tease us in preparations for the longer, sunnier days ahead. The sounds of birds singing and lawn mowers mowing are almost constant, along with the smells of barbecues—when you take an evening stroll around your neighbourhood. It’s an exciting and hopeful time of year!
But it’s not all fun and games. Victoria boasts one of the mildest micro-climates in Canada, but even here, the weather can be highly sporadic throughout the spring and summer seasons. And in other locations on the West Coast, it can be even more surprising and extreme!
Sunny days may be followed by a week of stormy weather and sometimes extreme weather changes even occur within the same day.
When unexpectedly severe weather hits, that’s when risk increases. That’s why it’s so important to plan ahead. Pretend that you know that these extreme turns in weather will definitely happen, and then, you’ll be ready for the high likelihood that they do.
Here are a few things to make sure you have in order to prepare for any of these common weather emergencies:
- Extra water with a long shelf-life, in case the water pipes get shut down, or water restrictions are put in place.
- Calorie-rich food that has a long shelf-life.
- Battery-operated flashlight with rechargeable batteries.
- A radio, preferably one that can recharge on its own and even charge other devices. Then you won’t even need another flashlight, unless it’s a backup!
- A list of important, personal information, including phone numbers.
- An emergency evacuation plan. Remember to make sure your whole household is on the same page, especially the children.
- A first aid kit. Remember to customize it to suit your personal needs, including any prescriptions that you need.
- Personal hygiene items.
- Sleeping bags.
- An emergency kit that’s ready to go in your car, in case you need to evacuate on short notice. This should include fire-starting equipment and a camp stove and cookware with fuel.
You shouldn’t necessarily stop there, either. Consider your region and your home situation and think through the steps needed to get through all the different kinds of weather emergency situations that might occur. Then, create a list of everything you might need. You can check that list off slowly, or get everything you need right away. Store it in a safe, easily accessible place. Make sure you practice going through your emergency routine on a regular basis. Then, no matter what the weather throws at you, you’ll be that much more prepared to handle it!