Back to Black: A Guide to Making Nature's Most Precious Substance Even under the Worst Circumstances

Good morning, Charlotte, and we hope this finds you safe and warm!

As Community Emergency Preparedness Corps members, Tiara and I have colleagues all over the country, and after looking up weather forecasts for our fellow members in Atlanta and Newark, we realized that somehow Charlotte is still enduring the coldest weather between the three. And for those of you in Orange County, California, I don't even want to know how warm it is out there. (Curiosity struck; NOAA says it's 51 degrees with a high of 72. I'm jealous.)

At any rate, my two and a quarter mile walk to work this morning taught me the value of coffee for both warmth and energy, and I found myself with a refreshed thankfulness for electricity and heat in our Central Avenue office. However, as you certainly know, electricity and heat are two commodities that can be few and far between in the event of disaster. Further, while I like to consider myself a resilient person with simple needs, coffee is just one of those things that is required for basic functional capabilities, in the office or elsewhere. Realizing this, I went on a Google crusade to find ways to make coffee sans electricity. The link below reveals a few different ways to make your magic brew, a couple of which do involve either a camp stove or an outdoor grill. Do remember with these to keep your propane-burning stoves and grills outside, as using them inside is a terrifying recipe for carbon monoxide poisoning, and we certainly wouldn't wish that on anyone. If you have a fireplace, that might be your best bet for heating water while staying inside. At any rate, do check out the link below, and enjoy the picture of the coffee our wonderful cubicle neighbor in the office, Beth, brought to work to share with us! She is an angel, especially on 22 degree mornings like this one!

Click here: How to Make Coffee During a Power Outage

Stay safe, Charlotte!

"Baby, It's COLD Outside."

Good afternoon my fellow winter soldiers! I come to you bearing gifts of more winter preparedness information and the promise of an absolutely delicious chili recipe (using almost only ingredients that you would find in your non-perishable canned food stash) in the near future. With the cold weather finally here to stay for good until March, I think it's safe to say that we need to start preparing for the harsh conditions ahead. 

Preparing your home for winter is an absolute must, and most of you probably already have items around your house that you can use to keep you self sufficient for a few days...but what about your car? Do you have the necessary items packed in your vehicle to help you beat the frost bite sure to come your way if you-mother nature forbid- did in fact get stranded in your vehicle?

First of all, let's check off the essentials; you should definitely already have tires, oil, and a battery in your car. If you don't have any of these items, you probably just shouldn't be driving around in the first place. Now that that's out of the way, let's look at the not so obvious things you could have that would be beneficial to you in this time of need: 

Engine Coolant 

(Think anti-freeze. It's this magical fluid that stops your engine from freezing in the winter or overheating in the summer. Make sure you have this.

A Full Tank of Gas 

(Consider this...a tank half full of gas is also half full of air...which contains...you guessed it! Water vapor. On cold mornings, that water vapor can condense and leave water in your gas tank. Not that big of a deal right? Wrong. Since water is heavier than gasoline it sinks to the bottom of the tank, and from there it can find its way into the fuel pump and fuel lines. If this water freezes, it can block the flow of fuel to your engine. Say goodbye to those holiday travel plans and say goodbye to all that money in your bank account as repairs can get costly.)

De-Icing Windshield Washer Fluid

(Pretty self explanatory, nobody likes an icy windshield. This could help tremendously for those mornings where it doesn't seem possible that the ice could have gotten so thick on your vehicle.)



There are a few more things listed on this helpful infographic from the Washington State Department of Transportation below, think about putting at least one thing from this list in your car every week until you have them all. You'll feel awesome knowing that you took the initiative to get prepared, although I hope that you will never be stuck in this kind of situation. Feel free to comment below with anything else you think might be needed during this harsh winter coming up!

 

Sending good vibes your way, 

Tiara and Rob

It's the Most Wonderful (and Cold) Time of the Year!

Howdy, y'all!

You might have noticed it's a bit chilly outside here in Charlotte, and while some of us may hope that tonight's forecasted low temperature of about 18 degrees is the coldest night we see through this wintry season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association has put together a pretty nifty map (link below!) showing when the coldest day of the year typically occurs across the occurs United States. Here in Charlotte, it looks like we are forecasted to experience our coldest temperatures in mid-January. This would suggest that we still have plenty of time to prepare, but as nights like tonight go to show, we never know when an exceptional cold front may catch us unprepared! Enjoy, and please share with family and friends to let them know when exceptional cold may be approaching in their area!

Click here: What's the coldest day of the year?

Stay warm, and stay safe, Charlotte!

We Didn't Start the Fire... But We Can Prevent More!

Hey there, Charlotte!

Since we know we make the community emergency preparedness life look oh so glamorous, there is no way we can't share upcoming opportunities for you to join us in our efforts! If you are able and willing, we will be partnering with the Red Cross this Saturday, November 22 (It's also National Family Volunteer Day!) to conduct a canvassing effort at the Village Lakes Apartments complex off East Independence Boulevard. We will be meeting there at 10:00 a.m. to pass out door hanger bags with winter weather preparedness and fire safety information to all the residents. The weather looks amazing, too -- should be in the mid-fifties and mostly sunny! Should you decide this sounds right up your alley and you'd love to meet up with us and make the magic happen, please follow the link below and sign up through the Hands On Charlotte website. Hope you can join us!

Click here: Fire Safety Canvass Campaign at Village Lakes

For further reference, here are some quick fire safety facts from the Red Cross. Let's work together to bring these numbers down!

And as always -- stay safe, Charlotte!

Ice, Ice, Baby: Tips for Safety as Cold Approaches This Week!

Good afternoon, Queen City!

Rumor has it that temperatures may drop down to, if not below, 20 degrees Tuesday night here in Charlotte. While this is outrageously cold for a Charlotte November, it is not long until 20 degree nights become a regular occurrence even this far south. The CDC defines "extreme cold" as any temperatures significantly below what the general population is used to. To help all of you stay nice and safely toasty, we have attached a link to the CDC's extreme cold preparedness guide. This includes a guide for what to keep in your car in case you get stranded in the snow, as well as facts about frostbite, hypothermia, wind chill dangers, and all sorts of other useful information. Don't forget that you can experience hypothermia even when temperatures are above 40 degrees if your clothing or skin isn't dry! Enjoy, and best of luck collecting emergency supplies for your car if you haven't already!

Click here: CDC Extreme Cold Guide!

Stay safe, Charlotte!

It's Electric! Lightning Safety Tips for a Stormy Day!

Good morning, Charlotte!

Given today's meteorological turn from the beautiful clear days of the past couple weeks, we thought it might be a great day to talk lightning safety. You never know when you might get caught in a storm!

Here is an interesting infographic from State Farm with some lightning statistics:

Many of the practices you may have heard about growing up really are wonderful ways to prepare and keep yourself safe. Don't take a shower, as lightning can travel through plumbing. Go inside if at all possible. Don't use electronics.

But what if you are caught outside? What if you are in a concrete building? What if you are in a group? There are all sorts of variables that can affect your vulnerability to the dangers of lightning. For answers to all of these and more, we have attached a link to the CDC's lightning safety page here:

CDC Lightning Safety Tips!

Further, we joined with our Mission Continues Fellow in the office, Sara, to demonstrate the lightning safety pose. As the CDC says on their page, if you are ever caught outside in a lightning storm, it is best to crouch into a ball, keeping your knees and feet together and placing your hands over your ears. This will minimize contact with the ground in case lightning strikes nearby, as lightning can travel across the ground's surface, and also keeps you as low as possible! (Thanks to Beth, our cubicle neighbor and Communications and Development Manager at HOC for the flawless photography skills!)

Stay safe, Charlotte!

Are you ready for winter, Charlotte?

Guess what, Charlotte! Remember last winter when we had a couple inches of snow and the city shut down? (At least we weren't in Atlanta!) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) has released their winter weather outlook, and it appears that this year may be even wetter and colder than last year. Here are some ideas from the CDC for ways to prepare yourself for the impending winter season. Further, be on the lookout in the next week for some information from us about what to include in a home emergency preparedness kit. You never know what may happen, so it's always best to be prepared! (And for all you weather geeks like me, we have a link to NOAA's winter weather outlook below as well!)

NOAA 2014 Winter Weather Outlook

Peace and blessings, y'all!