Winter Storm Jayden: An Example of Why We Prep
Kevin Felts 01.30.19
Winter Storm Jayden is hammering the northern states with record cold temperatures. People are being warmed to stay inside; if they do go outside not to breath deep, and cover every piece of skin with clothing.
Natural gas companies are asking people to lower the thermostat in their home, and if need be use electric space heaters. However, the electrical grid is straining to keep up, and some areas have lost power.
- Well over one thousand flights have been cancelled.
- Highways have been blocked by numerous vehicle pileups.
- Wind speeds have been measured at anywhere from 60mph – 87mph.
- Some areas are expected to set new record lows of in the -20s.
When situations like this arise, chances are emergency responders will not be able to answer a call. Too many calls are coming in, and the roads are probably blocked.
Why We Prep
There is a lot to learn from Winter Storm Jayden. One example is how people underestimated the cold.
One person was dropped off at his house, the doors and windows were locked, and he froze to death. Blood was found on the doors where he had been trying to get inside.
Another man was found dead in a garage after he had been shoveling snow.
A Milwaukee man was found frozen in his garage Tuesday morning, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office. WISN reports that Charles Lampley, 55, was found dead inside a detached garage that had the door open.
Another example is people not taking the situation seriously enough, and not staying home. There have been numerous people killed in car wrecks.
Then there are people who are being forced from their homes because power or natural gas services are down. They may rely on one source of heat for their homes, and when that one source fails, they have to leave.
Here we have an example of services shutting down, people being asked to take great caution, and some people not taking the situation seriously.
Final Thoughts
In Southeast Texas I have seen people who have fireplaces, but no wood. When the power goes out during a winter storm, those people have to leave their homes and seek shelter somewhere else.
Much like living in hurricane and earthquake prone areas, people in winter storm areas should know what to expect. People have an ability to observe and analyze situations and think about what to do next time. The problem is, we have short term memories.
What happens when the price of gas goes up? People trade in their gas-hog SUVs for something that gets better gas mileage. What happens when the price of gas goes down? They get another gas-hog. It’s as if some people do not learn from previous lessons, or can not think ahead.
Anyway, stay safe and keep on prepping.
