Get Ready for Extreme Weather: Week 4
What to Do If You are Stranded in Your Car
Did you know that Canadian arctic rescue teams suggest that drivers carry a can of dog food in their cars? Why? Because when people get stranded in snow in the arctic they tend to eat their emergency food supply too soon. No one is going to eat dog food until they absolutely have to.
Severe snow is one of the more common reasons for getting stranded in a car, but rain, floods, and mud are also common factors.
- In NV, Rita Chretien was stranded for 7 weeks after her car became stuck in mud. She used a plastic bag to capture rainwater to drink.
- Lauren Weinberg survived 9 days on 2 candy bars and a bottle of water when she went off snowy roads in AZ.
- Lynn Keesler survived for days on peanut butter M&Ms after getting stuck in a wastewater pond in Burley, Texas.
None of these drivers had cell phones. None had an emergency preparedness kit. But they had their wits and found a way.
Take action now to put your emergency kit together, or use our To Do List to plan when you will do it.
Your Emergency Car Kit
We’ve given you several lists of things you should have in your vehicle for emergencies. Here are some additional supplies to include in case you are stranded for a day or more.
- A tarp (or more than one), which can be used to gather water or supplies or used as a windbreak.
- One or more space blankets and duct tape. Rather than wrapping a person in the blanket, wrap the inside of your car to retain heat in the passenger section of the vehicle.
- Cooking kit – this can be as simple as a few candles in cans for heating up canned food or melting snow for water
- Water purifying tool (like a Life Straw)
- Plastic garbage bag
- A bucket (you can put other supplies in it for storage)
- Food – Think about what will survive in freezing and superheated temperatures like we have in Minnesota, and plan to replace your foodstuff spring and fall. You might consider beef jerky, granola bars, peanut butter, crackers, nuts, dates, coconut chips, instant coffee, power bars. In summer, be sure to bring water with you.
