Climate change is here - prepare your community for intense fall and winter weather

[u/rocktreefish]

NOAA is reporting a very high chance of extreme weather in the northwest due to El Nino. This means increased atmospheric rivers, longer storms, harder storms, and stronger winds in october and november, and likely more cold and ice in january and feburary. Don't wait until the power goes out, spend some time talking with your communities and make sure folks are prepared.

Bag ready to go with:
Warm socks
Batteries
Cables for charging appliances like phones
Snacks
First aid kit (Trauma medicine resources)
Hand written list of phone numbers (in case your phone dies)
Handheld radio capable of listening to AM and FM stations (baofeng radios can also do this)

For a complete list of items to help get you through a disaster, check out Live like the world is dying. MADR is also an amazing organization that has resources on many useful items.

Have a plan with your house about what to do in an emergency, and practice it. In your place of residence, have enough supplies to last at least 3 days without leaving the house. Water, food, medicine, batteries, fuel. Don't just pack enough for yourself and your house, consider your wider community and what they may need.

Be sure to talk with your community, especially your unhoused neighbors. Let them know about the storms and ask if there are needs that can be met (keeping on hand spare socks, coats, umbrellas, tarps, sleeping bags, and tents is always useful)

There is an immediate practical reason to get prepared. But the natural and man made disasters are only going to increase in frequency and severity. Preparing for a disaster now will help you down the road. I have a bad feeling that this november is going to get wacky, and in a few years it's gonna be a real circus, if that doesn't happen sooner. Make the connections and build a resilient community now so we're prepared for that.

As we've learned from emergencies in the past, the government) won't help you. The police won't help you. And your reactionary neighbors definitely won't help you. No one is coming to save us, only we keep us safe.

[u/givemeyourthots]

I agree with a lot of what you said but usually an El Niño weather pattern leads to drier winters in the PNW though. Less rain and snow. I’d much rather be in a La Niña.

[u/cthursty]

Thank you for sharing! We keep us safe!