Get ready for winter during Virginia’s Winter Preparedness Week, Nov. 30-Dec. 6. 
Recent Virginia winters have been cold and snowy, and many people had power outages. It’s so important to be winter-ready that the National Weather Service and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management have set aside Nov. 30-Dec. 6 as Winter Preparedness Week.
No matter the predictions, a significant winter storm is always possible. With an El Nino weather pattern expected this season, there could be a wetter than normal winter. And El Nino winters can be snowier if atmospheric conditions are right …just like the winter of 2009-10.
Remember: an important part of winter weather planning is being prepared to stay where you are until conditions improve. To be ready, take these steps:
Get a kit. Basic emergency supplies include:
- Three days’ food that doesn’t need refrigeration or electricity to prepare it
- Three days’ water (a gallon per person per day)
- A battery-powered and/or hand-crank radio with extra batteries
- For businesses and offices, some bottles of water, food bars and a radio or TV to hear local information about whether or not it is safe to travel
- A power pack for recharging cell phones and other mobile devices
Make a plan. Everyone needs an emergency plan:
- Decide who your out-of-town emergency contact will be.
- Where will you meet up with family members if you can’t return home?
- Get an emergency plan worksheet at ReadyVirginia.gov.
Stay informed. Before, during and after a winter storm, you should:
- Listen to local media for information and instructions from emergency officials.
- Be aware of winter storm watches and warnings and road conditions.
- Get where you need to go before the weather gets bad.
- Get road condition information 24/7 by calling 511 or checking www.511Virginia.org
Download the Ready Virginia app. Free app for iPhone®and Android™features:
- Location-specific weather watches and warnings issued by NWS
- Disaster news from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management
- A customizable family emergency plan that can be easily shared
- A checklist for gathering emergency supplies
- Links to register for local emergency alerts, and more