By Elizabeth Hacala
As severe thunderstorms rolled across Bedford and other communities throughout Massachusetts this summer, tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents had the opportunity to test out their storm preparedness. If you are like me, you found it had a few holes in it since the last big storm. We are no strangers to big storms this time of year and it may be time for a quick inventory of what we have and where it is.
* Do you have batteries for lanterns or flashlights? Do you know where they are?
* Do you have some food on hand that you can prepare without cooking?
* Do you have a battery-operated radio or TV to get news?
* Are you signed up for emergency alerts through Code Red on the Town’s website?
* A recommended emergency kit list is available on the Commonwealth’s website and Ready.gov.
In my case, I found my lanterns and batteries just fine, but my phone backup power banks were uncharged and not where I thought they were. Demand for cell service and/or towers being down left us unable to open webpages to check many of the sources I count on, including The Bedford Citizen.
With several weeks of hurricane season ahead of us and winter after that, this is a good time to check that you have what you need to stay safe and comfortable during a storm. On Sept. 1, Governor Maura Healy declared September 2023 Emergency Preparedness Month for Massachusetts and this was a good reminder to take a few minutes and make sure we are ready for bad weather.
We are not strangers to wild weather this time of year. Now that power is restored, I am going to spend some time making sure I am better prepared for the next storm and hope you do, too.
Stay safe, Bedford!
Elizabeth Hacala serves as President of the Board of Directors for The Bedford Citizen.
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