One week the weather casters say we’ll have a winter full of snowstorms, and the next week, they all say it’s going to be a mild winter. The week after that, all snow, all the time. It seems that we never know what we’re in for when it comes to winters in New England. But one thing we do know as a moving company in Boston. We have to be prepared for anything.

New England weather in the winter can throw just about anything at us. Snow, rain, sleet, sunny days and more. Throw in some of these factors and some wind and cold, and you could be sitting there in the dark for an unknown amount of time. Being prepared for such elements can make all the difference in the world when it comes to getting though a tough time. Here are a few things our experts advise you should have around the home for an emergency.

Home in winter

Food and Water: Having adequate food is a must. And not just any food. You need to stock food that can last for several days without refrigeration. You might think in this day and age that you’ll only be without electricity for a short time, but in some recent storms, even towns close to Boston have been known to be without power for days. So keep canned goods, (A can opener of course…) crackers and other items that won’t spoil. If you know a storm is coming, you need to stock up on water as well. Water doesn’t really go bad so feel free to load up as much as you can.

Lights: We feel that you can never have enough flashlights lying around the house. As we approach winter, make sure you have a flashlight in at least the more popular rooms in your home such as the kitchen, bedrooms and the bathroom. You can even find emergency lights that stay plugged in to the wall and turn on in the event of a power failure. These types of light are great for hallways that could end up pitch dark. And of course, make sure you have plenty of batteries in the correct sizes. Batteries have a pretty good shelf life to keep plenty on hand.

Generator: You have many options when it comes to generators. You have whole house generators, you have models that run on gasoline like many of us are familiar with and then in recent years, manufacturers have come out with generators that run on propane gas. And we now have generators that are large batteries. While there still needs to be improving to this technology, you can get batteries generators that can run a light or town and maybe a coffee maker.

Heat: If you have a fireplace then you should be stocking some kind of wood at your home. It could be natural wood and even logs such as Duraflames. Keep the wood in a dry place free from moisture. And keep enough on hand for at least four days just in case you can’t get power back on. You can also visit your local outdoor store to find all kinds of warmers such as hand warmers they even make warmers that fit into a jacket.

Tools: You really should keep a basic tool kit in your home where you can locate it easily. Weather can cause damage to your home and some of that damage needs to be taken care of quickly. Items you might want to keep on hand include a hammer, saw, pliers, rope and other small tools such as screwdrivers. Ad its not a bad idea to keep a roll of duct tape on hand. As we know, duct tape repairs almost anything, right?

As the old saying goes, if you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a minute. And we see this year after year. Be prepared, stay safe and you’ll have a far better chance of staying calm during the storm.

Are you ready for your next relaxing moving experience? If you’re moving soon, give our team a call today and let’s get started!