Jim,
Hope all is well! Hopefully everyone reading your blog will already be prepped for what is inbound….but in case some are not aware, AccuWeather is predicting incredible cold for much of the East and Southeastern US…all the way to Florida. Everyone needs to be sure to have water, warm clothes, boots, blankets in their vehicles…especially for those transporting children. Batteries and water pumps often fail in cold weather and to have such a failure in extreme cold can be life threatening if one is not prepared for the event! Water in the fuel lines of vehicles will freeze in the next few days if it is in the system. Treat your gas tank with ‘Heat’ or a similar product. Keep your fuel tank full as condensation does not manifest as readily with a full fuel tank. Full tanks of gas are not going to leave you stranded because you ‘ran out of fuel’ either!
Homes need to be prepped and stocked for potential power outages; vents closed and insulated to prevent against freezing pipes and excessive energy (heat) loss; LP propane bottles topped off for emergency use/cooking; etc. Household pets and Farm livestock….they are domesticated animals and don’t fair well with cold extremes…the wildlife doesn’t fair as well either but that is another issue. Water is vitally important. Dehydration is the first step the warm blooded take on the road to hypothermia. Shielding against the wind and energy in the form of food for internal heat needs to be addressed as well. In 10 days you will likely receive updates on “how my preps failed or succeeded when the temp dropped below freezing for five days.” Until then, build a fire, read a book, enjoy the time at home with friends and family! Don’t forget your prayers…all we enjoy is from Christ Jesus! – Matt in Tennessee