We know how you feel, East Coasters!

Hopefully, things won't be as bad for our East Coast neighbors
as they were for many Western New Yorkers in November

Unless you've been under a rock the past 24 hours or so, you know the East Coast is bracing for what they're calling a "potentially historic" blizzard over the next 24-48 hours. This storm is expected to largely miss our Region, and after November 2014 the people of Western New York may be having a hard time thinking of two feet of snow as "historic". But as we learned all too well, road closures and travel bans can leave people stranded in their homes or cars, and this storm has the potential to affect millions of people. 

While our volunteers standby to return the favor and help our downstate and East Coast neighbors as they helped us last November, we need to remember that winter is not over. Our turn could be coming again sooner than you think, and the time to prepare is now! Think about how much these simple steps could have helped your family get through "Snowvember": 

• Assemble an Emergency Preparedness Kit: Weather conditions and travel bans may force your family to shelter-in-place at your home. Make sure your kit includes at least three days water and non-perishable food, as well as essential medications. Additionally, make sure you have a first aid kit and a battery-powered radio with extra batteries in your home in the event of a power outage.

• Keep an Emergency Preparedness Kit in your Car: Remember, many people thought they could make it to their destination and ended up stranded in their car for hours. Make sure your car preparedness kit includes high-protein snacks and water, as well as a warm coat, hat, mittens or gloves, and water-resistant boots, along with extra blankets and extra warm clothing for each family member.

Click here for 15 minutes that can help your family stay safe!

Want more tips on how to help prepare your family for emergencies such as a blizzard? Take 15 minutes and take New York State's free, online Citizen Preparedness Corps training (choose "referral from the American Red Cross" on the drop-down menu). We can also send a trained instructor to provide this potentially life-saving information in-person at your school, business or organization. Just contact Preparedness Specialist Veronica Chiesi Brown and she'll hook you up. Remember, this storm may be missing us, but that means this is a great time to gear up for the next blast!

It didn't happen this time, but...

A week ago today, Western New Yorkers were bombarded with predictions of "snowmageddon". Heavy, wet snow was supposed to blanket the area, bringing down trees and power lines in a scene reminiscent of our October Surprise in 2006. The predictions were so dire, the Weather Channel even sent Jim Cantore to Orchard Park to cover the devastation.

L-R: Ken Turner, Julie Rapp, Susan Peek and Diane Sargent
discuss emergency response plans for
predicted spring snow storm.

Here at the Red Cross, we prepared for the worst. Potential shelter locations were put on standby in each of the eight counties of the Greater Buffalo Region, and staff and volunteers were lined up to operate them. Emergency services directors here at our regional headquarters took part in multiple conference calls with their counterparts in the Southwestern New York and Tri-County Chapters to coordinate any possible response and ensure that the Red Cross was ready help wherever needed. We were also in constant contact with emergency managers at the state and local level to coordinate potential action.

As we all now know, "snowmaggedon" never materialized. Some parts of WNY did receive some measurable snowfall, and there were scattered power outages, but there was never any true emergency and no actual disaster operations were necessary. The most exciting part of Jim Cantore's time in Orchard Park turned out to be a visit from Santa Claus!

That doesn't mean we should all start treating the weatherman like the boy who cried wolf, however. Anyone who was here in October of 2006 knows how important being prepared ahead of time can be, and disasters can happen any time, whether the meteorologists predict it or not. If you want to learn to what steps to take to make sure you're Red Cross Ready when disaster predictions actually do come true, set up a free preparedness education program at your school, business or organization.

Here at the Red Cross, the false predictions gave us a chance to test our emergency response capabilities throughout the region in real time. By coincidence, we had a a recap of our March disaster drill scheduled for last Wednesday, and we took that opportunity to discuss what went well during our preparations for the spring storm, and what we could've done better. So we'll keep watching the weatherman, and we'll be ready to respond when the boy actually does see the wolf!