It’s New England — snow happens

With yet another “epic,” “historic” and “unprecedented” storm passing through Connecticut earlier this week, now may be an appropriate time to once again share emergency preparedness tips. Reminder: Winter happens every year.This storm, like nearly every other winter storm, provided ample opportunity to prepare. Observations at area gas stations showed little, if any, waiting at 9 a.m. on Monday, 12 hours before the expected brunt of the storm was predicted to hit. Similarly, a visit to the IGA Super Saver at lunch on Monday found the store to be perhaps somewhat busier than usual, but the shelves were well-stocked.John Dwan, Super Saver owner, once again offered his pledge to support the needs of the town during emergency operations.The extent of Dwan’s cooperation is unparalleled. Maybe “epic,” “historic” or “unprecedented” if the news media were interested, but this is good news, so it will be overlooked: On occasion, John has offered to me the key to his store to get supplies during emergencies.He has said to me, “Take what you need and we’ll square things away later.” Fortunately, I have never had to take advantage of John’s community support, but it is reassuring to know that he and the IGA Super Saver are available.Other merchants, such as Bob and Heather Rodriguez’s Bear Claw Coffee House, will remain open as long as possible to provide additional support for emergency and public safety personnel. To have such support is a firsthand reminder of how close and supportive this community is in times of need.For those of you not required to be out, the recommendation from all agencies is to shelter in place. In other words, simply stay home. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) web site for preparedness,www.ready.gov, offers the following advice: “You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days.”Something that is often neglected when securing supplies is simply common sense. Storms happen, and will continue to happen. Be prepared. If power goes out and is expected to remain out for a short time (less than two days, for example), no shelters will usually be opened. The staff and volunteers, facilities and supplies needed to support shelter operations require coordination. Do not forget that while preparing or conducting shelter operations, the staff and volunteers are also dealing with the personal impact of the storm: their own family and homes may have been significantly affected.Nonetheless, at the first suggestion that power may be lost, some residents immediately begin to clamor for a shelter to be opened. You should be able to shelter in place for a day or two without power. Prepare for that.If you or someone you know has medically associated power needs, utility companies have programs established to register those needs so that in the event of a power outage, priority efforts can be directed to restore power for those in need. Take advantage of that service.Check on your neighbors, the elderly and those living alone. Get out and clear sidewalks and fire hydrants when safe. Sidewalk clearing is often a neighborhood-building activity, whereas digging out fire hydrants can be a life- and property-saving activity.Be patient with the highway crews as they clear the roads. They’re driving big, heavily laden trucks on slick surfaces, so it’s not as easy to stop as your smaller passenger car, likely equipped with much better braking technology. (Our highway trucks, by the way, have “breaking” technology — somewhat different.) Miles of roads take hours to clear. Just because the snow stops doesn’t mean dangerous conditions have ceased.Special thanks to those who will likely have spent several long hours dealing with the storm and, in some cases, with those who didn’t make the proper preparations or ignored the warnings. This isn’t rocket science; it’s winter in New England. We obviously have a short memory span — this “unprecedented” snowfall also happened just over two years ago at Halloween. I guarantee it will happen again soon.Dale Martin is the town manager of Winsted.