EVEN IN THE SOUTH..YOU SHOULD BE READY

This past Tuesday, a winter storm hit areas that aren't exactly used to dealing with the problems winter weather brings.  While the actual snowfall was only a few inches, the nightmare it caused was unbelievable.

You've seen the photos coming out of Birmingham, Atlanta, and surrounding areas. Pictures of snarled roadways, jammed-up interstates and cars abandoned along the roadside. Tales of children spending the night at school and stories of commuters sleeping in grocery stores overnight.

Many motorists were stranded in their cars and had nowhere to go. Hundreds abandoned their vehicles and started walking down the interstate. Gas stations were running out of gas and grocery store shelves were empty as panicked motorists stocked up. Resupply trucks couldn't get through the gridlock. Some cars slid off the road into the river, leaving the drivers to swim to safety. Desperate drivers were taking to Facebook and Twitter to get help, because the cell towers were simply overloaded.

This is a reminder of why carrying emergency supplies in your vehicle is critical. It could potentially save your life. The situation in Alabama and Georgia got so bad this past week that the National Guard was mobilized to hand out packets of food to stranded motorists. But do you really want to put your safety and survival into the hands of the National Guard? They may not always be there. It's far better to have your own survival plan and gear in place. Emergencies rarely give you a warning that they are coming.
 
THINGS YOU NEED IN YOUR CAR:
One of the most important things you can do is to keep some basic survival materials in your vehicle. This is a winter list, just change out type of clothing and add a mylar (space) blanket for summer.

• Blankets or sleeping bags
• Extra warm clothing -- extra gloves, hats, coats, etc.
• Emergency food you can eat without cooking
• Bottled water
• A good first aid kit & extra supplies of prescription medications
• Matches and a fire-starter of some kind
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• A knife and basic tools
• Deck of cards, something to pass the time