A cold front is moving through the state, dropping the overnight temperatures to below freezing for large parts of Missouri. Katy Linnenbrink with the State Emergency Management Agency said that means now’s as good a time as any to gear up for winter’s arrival in one month.
“Prepare an emergency kit for your car if you get stranded in cold weather on the road,” she told Missourinet. “Of course, it’s always best to avoid or postpone travel during hazardous weather, but if you must travel, make sure you’ve got an emergency kit in your car.”
She said an emergency kit should include a blanket, radio and spare batteries, snacks like energy bars, jumper cables, flares, as well as a shovel and sand for tire traction. Before hitting the road, Linnenbrink encourages drivers to check the latest conditions on MoDOT’s online traveler map.
“If it’s really, really important to avoid travel if you can and if you are going to be traveling, give yourself lots of extra time,” Linnenbrink said. “Your following distance, stopping distance, shortens significantly in snow and ice. So, you really want to make sure you’re driving with extreme caution.”
She recommends keeping the gas tank more than half full, your cell phone charged and save emergency numbers for fast dialing.
Winter weather means plunging temperatures. Linnenbrink said to remember that space heaters can be deadly when misused.
“They can be, you know, really dangerous if they are not used properly,” she said. “So, you want to make sure that they are maintained and operating as they should before you use them. Proper ventilation for generators is essential. So, make sure you are checking all your boxes there.”
She said to make sure all sources of alternative heat such as fireplaces, woodstoves, kerosene heaters, and generators function properly. Also, carbon monoxide detectors should be installed throughout the home.
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