Storms be Brewing - 5 Tips for Weathering the Storm

If you’ve checked the news today, or looked outside your window, you know there is a huge (YUGE) storm heading our way. Reports are showing that the monster resembles the Columbus Day Storm of 1962, which had up to 81 mph winds in Everett. That’s pretty gnarly.

Before the thunder starts rolling, here are a few tips on how to weather this storm, and the many others Everett will have this season.

1. Charge your tech.
Remember all of those battery packs you bought for playing Pokemon Go? Charge them up now so you can continue to play when the power goes out. Or, you could use them to keep your phone alive long enough to call PUD to tell them your power is out.

2. Load up on essentials.
Just a few things that may come in handy:

Flashlights (one per person)
Candles
Firewood, if you have a wood-burning stove or fireplace
Thick socks
Extra blankets

3. Buy some nonperishable snackage.
Trust me, when the power goes out you’ll need that stash of Oreos and cold brewskies. Here are some other (more practical) items to get for your stockpile:

Canned soup (if you have fire proof cookware)
Canned beans or other canned food
Crackers
Popped popcorn
Apples, or other fruit that can stay outside the fridge
Beef jerky
Canned meat (mmmm spam)

4. Or, if you don’t want to eat canned food all weekend, go to the restaurants at the waterfront.
We don't know why, for sure, but for some reason when the power is out everywhere else the waterfront still has power. Here are some links so you can call first.

5. Do a load of laundry, pronto.
Running low on socks or tighty-whities? Do a load now before the power goes out; your room-mates will thank you later.

But seriously…

If your power goes out, call the PUD hotline at (425) 783-1001 to report any outages in your area. PUD is also good about updating their Twitter feed during outages, so check their page here before making the call.

In case of emergency, always call 911 first.

What if you see a downed power line? Stay far, far away. Straight from PUD’s website, “Stay at least 30 feet away from any fallen power lines, including lines that are sagging or broken. Also, don’t cut up fallen trees that are entangled with power lines. The safe thing to do is assume all power lines are alive and can be a killer if touched.”

Stay safe, and have fun MacGyvering through the storm!

If you see any giant downed trees or crazy scenes from the storm, share it with us on Facebook or Instagram at @liveineverett

Anna is a freelance graphic designer who specializes in print and digital design. She also happens to be on Live in Everett's staff, helping manage the daily doings of the site.

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