By Anna Von Reitz
Hopefully, you have all taken our advice and have set yourselves up so that, when it is needed or convenient, you can just stay home.
Our militia men across the country are faithfully standing the watch and assisting Assembly members who are facing bad situations because of record snow, cold, and ice storms. Here in Alaska our guys have already rescued one elderly woman, one disabled woman, and set up emergency heat units for multiple homes, as well as delivering fuel to those too elderly or disabled to do this for themselves.
Quiet heroes are the best. Often they show up with a snowblower and hats with ear-flaps. Other times, they appear riding a front end loader, or driving a tow truck. These are the people who have often been ridiculed for prepping and taken for granted. These are the people we treasure in our Assemblies. Our militia.
That's why we say, "Come home." If you are a self-respecting American and still have your heart in the right place, come home.
And if you can, when the snow is deep and the wind is cold and the ice is layered on like sheets of glass, we say, stay home.
If you have to go out in these fierce conditions, observe basic safety protocols. Let someone know where you are and where you aim to go. Let them know why you are going out in such nasty conditions.
Do what you can to make sure that your car or truck is road worthy. Pack water, extra blankets, change of clothes, flashlights, food, bandages and medical necessities, traction sand, snow melter, shovel(s), tow straps, battery chargers, phone chargers, extra caps and mittens, heat sources -- sterno, candles, flower pot stoves. Pretend you are going on a week-long winter camping trip.
Because you might be.
You are risking your life and, if you wind up in the ditch, if your car breaks down or gets stuck in the middle of an impenetrable snow drift, you could be risking other lives, too.
So think more than twice about moving at all in true winter storm conditions.
Tune into the local weather reports and five day forecasts. Tune into the road reports that give advance warning about road conditions. Memorize the phone numbers of family members and emergency services.
If you can possibly leave the kids or the grandparents at home, do so. Able-bodied men are at real risk in such conditions, to say nothing of elders, women, and children.
If you have a hardy-breed, well-trained family dog, you might consider taking them with you, if you can pack enough food and water for them and have a rope or sufficient leash.
Huskies, German Shepherds, Bouviers, Retrievers and other breeds have saved their owners on many, many occasions. A dog becomes a source of life-giving heat in a winter storm. In other circumstances, they have often led rescuers back to the site of car crashes buried in snow or led their owners to the nearest shelter.
Rely on your own common sense, weather reports, and your own observed local weather conditions. Keep your kids home from school when dangerous winter storm conditions exist, no matter what decisions the school officials may make about closing the schools or keeping them open. It's okay to declare your own "Snow Days".
To the extent that you reasonably can, share with those less fortunate during hard times and snow storms.
But the best advice is to just stay home if you are able to.
For many years now we have advised assemblies and assembly members to set aside extra food, fuel, water and medical supplies. We trust that you have heard the message, not as a threat or even a warning, but as the voice of experience.
Preparing to meet disasters, taking steps to ensure that you and your family members have what you need in the event of hard times and snow storms, isn't a political statement. It's a practical necessity in a world which is constantly changing.
Winter storms and other kinds of natural disasters often come fast, even while you are on the road in transit from one location to another. You may not be home or reasonably near home when a storm hits. Check all your options and be practical.
The homing instinct is strong and many people who actually have no factual need to continue traveling in the face of a storm continue to try to get home. If you have automatic backup systems in place to power your home through power interruptions, if you have competent family members staying at the house while you have been traveling and they can stay safe there, if you have a responsible landlord --- consider finding a hotel or other lodging and simply staying wherever you are.
This keeps you safe and off the roads and assists the road crews and emergency responders. Your family members are also comforted to know that you are settled down somewhere safe.
We trust that most, if not all, Assembly members are prepared to just stay home until the storms pass and the sun comes out again.
Stay home, all of you who earned that option by preparing ahead of time. This is that moment when your foresight and prior sacrifices and good choices pay off.
Granna
------------------
To support this work look for the Donate button on this website.
How do we use your donations? Find out here.
