What can you do to prepare for winter weather? Well, you can start by reading this.

Snow and ice and power outages, oh my! With the joy and wonder of the winter season comes a few hazards that can be difficult to navigate — especially if you aren’t prepared. Auburn’s Office of Emergency Management can help you figure out how to get yourself and your household ready for just about anything winter weather can throw your way!

Build a Kit

It’s always important to have an emergency kit, and there are some extras to consider adding to get fully prepared for winter weather. Start with these basics and then visit ready.gov/kit for more inspiration.

· 1 gallon of water per person in your household per day, for several days. Make sure to store water in a location where it won’t freeze

· Food, at least several days’ worth of non-perishable food

· Flashlight with extra batteries

· A NOAA weather radio

· First Aid supplies

· Warm clothing

· A whistle

· Sanitation supplies: moist towelettes, garbage bags, toilet paper, feminine hygiene products

· Cell phone chargers and power banks

In addition to having a household emergency kit, make sure your vehicle is equipped for winter. In addition to adding tire chains, ice scrapers, and emergency flares, think about what you would want in your car if you got stuck in the snow overnight. Keep snacks, water, good walking shoes, and warm clothes on hand for vehicle emergencies. As always, don’t forget those jumper cables!

Be Informed

The best way to get prepared is to know what to expect. Keeping an eye on the forecast is important, and there are lots of other ways to get emergent alerts and updates during severe winter weather.

· Follow the Auburn Emergency Management on Facebook (AuburnEM) and Twitter (@AuburnWA_EM) for regular updates.

· Visit Auburn’s Emergency Alert and Updates webpage at auburnwa.gov/emergencyinfo.

· Report non-emergency issues to the City using the SeeClickFix app. Learn more at auburnwa.gov/seeclickfix.

· Check conditions before you travel at wsdot.gov/travel.

· Sign up for ALERT King County at kingcounty.gov/alert to receive emergency alerts via email, text message, and/or phone call. Sign up is free and secure.

· Auburn residents who live or work in Pierce County should also sign up for Pierce County ALERT at piercecountywa.gov/alert.

· Get power outage updates through Puget Sound Energy (PSE) at pse.com/outagemap.

Emergency Management’s Role During Winter Weather

You’re not alone in preparing for winter weather. Auburn Office of Emergency Management’s role is to help the whole Auburn community get ready for and respond to winter weather. We do that by writing the City’s emergency plans, and when conditions get severe enough, our role is to help coordinate the behind-the-scenes planning, logistics and operations that helps our boots-on-the-ground responders such as Police, Public Works, and the Valley Regional Fire Authority work together to best help Auburn residents. That might mean we help bring needed supplies to residents during a disaster, help coordinate volunteers, or activating our Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as a command post where different City agencies can work together in the same space. During the winter months, we also help coordinate the City’s Warming Center along with the Auburn Food Bank. We’re here to answer questions and help you get prepared! Visit auburnwa.gov/disaster to learn more.

And while we’re here…

Here are a few other things to keep in mind:

· Clearing sidewalks is everyone’s job! Be a neighborly neighbor Mr. Rogers would be proud of and help clear snow from sidewalks and walkways.

· The City of Auburn does not control when or if trash collection is delayed or canceled. That is always Waste Management’s call and Waste Management’s alone.

· When in doubt, wait it out. If you feel like you might not be able to drive up a slick or icy hill, don’t.

· Listen to our podcast, hosted by Mayor Nancy Backus, on how to best prepare for winter weather!