Everyone knows that winter can be rough across Central Virginia and even in the Richmond area. I will be explaining how to become better prepared for the upcoming winter season. Many people don’t think about having a disaster kit or a first aid kit in their homes and cars, but this is important. You can also get an app on your phone like the ReadyVA app, which is run by Virginia Emergency Management. It has great information about preparing for a weather-related disaster.

Also the Federal Emergency Management Agency, known as FEMA, has a great app which includes weather alerts where you can set your location and it reminds you to check your fire alarms, make first aid kits, fire drills instructions, etc. I encourage you to download these apps if you have a smartphone. These apps are a must-have and can be life-saving in a weather-related disaster.

Another great app is called Scanner For Public Safety. I personally have it for several counties in Virginia. When Hurricane Matthew touched down in Florida, I used the app to listen to what was going on down there. There is also an important link to have, which is the one for the National Weather Service: www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/coverage/ccov.php?State=VA.

Hanover County also has a place on their city website called CodeRED where you can sign up for emergency notifications for things like blizzards, accidents on the road, etc. It’s basically like a reverse 911 system; they tell you when there’s an emergency. Next week, check out my article on how to create first aid and disaster kits.