Winter weather in South Mississippi is predictably unpredictable.
In January of last year local residents dealt with a major ice storm that froze the roads and led to a couple of tragic traffic accidents. In 2012, a tornado damaged several homes on Christmas morning.
This year, I ran the air conditioning from Christmas Eve on Thursday, all the way through the weekend.
Monday morning my cellphone woke me with the well-known sound of the emergency broadcast system alerting me that severe weather was on the way. After running the previously mentioned air conditioning all night, and sleeping through the storm, I stepped out of the abode on my way to work to find cooler weather, finally.
This storm was something of note, but fortunately not for Pearl River County residents. While our fellow Mississippi residents in Seminary and Hattiesburg are cleaning up some major damage, we again will at most deal with minor damage at worst.
I point all of this out to say, the weather is something that can’t be controlled. But we can stay abreast to its changes, and use that information to protect ourselves.
Here are a few things you may want to have on hand in case a winter storm knocks out the power; flashlights and candles, gas powered camp stove, plenty of blankets and water and some canned food begin the list. Be sure to use the camp stove in a properly ventilated area to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. A quick search on the Internet will provide a complete list to ensure your time in the dark is not so uncomfortable.
But once you have a storm kit in your home and car, staying informed is just as vital. Even if your cellphone does not alert you automatically, it’s a good idea to keep up with the day’s weather. So be sure to have a battery powered radio at least, if not a fully charged cellphone on hand.