Friday, April 9, 2010

Stranded on the Point

Pretend Situation for April: a terrible accident on the Point.

Pretend that you are driving southbound on I-15 at 5:30 p.m. on a stormy weekday. You have one passenger in the vehicle with you (pick any family member). Just past the prison exit you come to a stop. Due to the violent rain and wind storm, a semi-truck has overturned near the Alpine exit and traffic is completely blocked.

The storm is getting worse—it's cold, dark, and loud. You let your car idle with the heater on. Thirty minutes go by and you have not been able to drive an inch.

After another 30 minutes traffic still hasn't moved. The radio announces that fuel has leaked from the tanker and it will be at least another hour before the freeway is moving again. Your passenger is hungry, anxious, and restless (you might be too).

Consider what you currently have in your vehicle that will be useful and even necessary at this point. Then consider what you don't have in your vehicle. We recommend that over the next month you take steps to get your vehicle(s) stocked if this situation were to really happen.

For helpful information, view links to the right under Emergency Prep Reference Sites. Also, please share ideas of how you could be prepared for this situation by commenting on this post. This way we can learn and benefit from each other.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for doing this, guys. I'm reminded that we *usually* have a blanket in the family car, but it made its way back into the house and we would have been without it in this situation. My phone would be useful for getting more information assuming the storm was not too severe. Would need food in the car. I also *usually* keep a granola bar in my backpack, but that is gone as well. I've replaced it. The car itself should have some water and food as well, and even a spare coat or two. Something to entertain would also be good--my phone usually works for this.

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  2. Well on the average day I would have had at least a week's supply of crushed fishy crackers stored in the cracks of my backseat, plus whatever liquid is in the sippy cups accumulating on the floor. Unfortunately I just turned over a new leaf with a goal of keeping my car clean, so this was a good reminder that I will actually have to prepare for such an emergency! Thanks!

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