New Brunswick storm shines light on need for emergency preparedness kits

New Brunswick’s first blast of winter is serving as a reminder to residents that they need to be prepared for winter emergencies.

READ MORE: N.B. expecting more snow, rain as crews work to restore power

Homeowner Kathy Hennessy said that in the midst of Tuesday’s bad weather, she realized that other than blankets she doesn’t have many emergency supplies in her house. Hennessy only lost power for about two minutes, but says she would have to rely on friends and neighbours in the event of a major emergency.

“I would desperately contact all of my friends to see if anybody had power so that we could kind of combine food into freezers,” Hennessy said, adding she plans on stocking up on supplies.

At the peak of Tuesday’s power outage, more than 45,000 customers were without electricity.

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READ MORE: First snowfall wallops much of New Brunswick

City of Fredericton spokesperson Wayne Knorr says residents should have emergency kits with items that could sustain them for up to three days.

“A kit would normally have things like batteries, water, things that you could easily heat if you had access to a camp stove or something like that, or things like granola bars, things like that that are easy to prepare and tide you over,” Knorr said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "A kit would normally have things like batteries, water, things that you could easily heat if you had access to a camp stove or something like that, or things like granola bars, things like that that are easy to prepare and tide you over," Knorr said.

Knorr also says it’s important to connect with family members and neighbours to combine resources.

RCMP Cpl. Ryan Lewis says it’s also important to prepare for winter road conditions. He says the RCMP responded to 24 collisions during Tuesday’s storm.

“Bring a shovel. You can always bring first aid kits, emergency blankets, anything that can help you be extra prepared to be prepared for a storm like this,” Lewis said.

He says people should “always use common sense” and stay in when driving conditions are dangerous, unless it’s “absolutely necessary” to travel. In addition, if drivers need to be on the roads, they should slow down and move over if they see emergency personnel.

The City of Fredericton currently has warming and charging stations available at the Grant•Harvey Centre and Willie O’Ree Place.

Lewis says drivers should visit 511 to check road conditions before travelling.

For anyone looking for more information on emergency preparedness, Knorr says the city’s website has useful information.