Preparing for Hurricane Sandy!

Empty bread shelves at the Bottom Dollar
Grocery Store in Dumfries, Virginia.

Below are some tips for surviving Hurricane Sandy!  If you have any ideas to share, please comment to this post, to share them with the community.  Please take all precautions to be safe during the storm.  Please remember to check on your neighbors, especially the elderly.

Food Tips:

·        Be sure to stock up on non-perishable food items, in the event the power goes out.

·        Have a gallon of water, per day, for each member of your household

·        If you have bottled water, place some in your freezer, so in the event you lose power, the frozen bottles of water can be used to keep the items in the refrigerator cooler for a longer period of time.

·        If you have a propane grill, be sure that it is full.  If the power is out when the weather clears, you can always cook the food in the freezer on the grill.  (Keep in mind, a full freezer should keep items fresh for at least two days).

·        In the spirit of accentuating the positive, this is a good time to explore vegan and raw food recipes with the kids!

Safety Tips:

·        If you have a generator, please keep the generator OUTSIDE of your home!  Generators release chemicals that can be deadly if used inside of your house.

·        If you have a two-story home, resort to the lower level.

·        Be sure not to park your car near or directly beneath trees.

·        In the event of heavy winds, stay away from the windows.

·        Make sure your drains are clean and that your drains are tightly connected to an extender so that the water will drain away from your house, instead of draining into your foundation.

·        Keep plenty of batteries on hand, for your flashlights.

Tips for Treating Cabin Fever:

·        The Dollar Store sells a variety of glow sticks, etc.  Purchase a few to play games with the glow-in-the-dark items, if the power goes out.

·        School may be closed, but that should not stop learning!  Use this time to read with your young child, or have your independent readers, read independently!

·        A deck of cards, Uno, family games such as monopoly, tic-tac-toe, Life, and Scrabble are always great ideas to have fun and do some family bonding.

Emergency Shelters:  Freedom High School will serve as an emergency shelter, and is located on
15201 Neabsco Mills Road, Woodbridge, VA.
Stonewall Jackson High School located at 8820 Rixlew Lane in Manassas, Va.
The Ferlazzo building is open as a pet friendly shelter, located at 15941 Donald Curtis Drive, Woodbridge, VA.
 

Weather Related Closings for Tuesday, October 30^th from InsideNova:

·        Manassas City Government, liberal leave for non-essential employees.

·        Manassas Museum and the Museum Store will be closed Tuesday.

·        Quantico Marine Corps base will be closed Tuesday. DoD schools aboard base will be closed.

·        Alexandria City Public Schools and offices will be closed Tuesday.; all ACPS activities are also cancelled. ACPS employees should adhere to a Code RED as listed in ACPS emergency closing procedures.

·        Prince William County Public Schools will be closed Tuesday. Code Red for employees. All school division activities cancelled. The School Age Care Program will not open.

·        Loudoun County Public Schools and administrative offices will be closed Tuesday.

·        Fauquier County Public Schools and administrative offices will be closed Tuesday.

·        Prince William County Courts will be closed Tuesday.

·        Bristow Montessori School in Bristow will be closed Tuesday.

·        No trash or recycling service in Manassas Tuesday. the Waste Transfer Station is also closed.

·        Prince William Hospital’s Intensive Outpatient Program day group canceled Tuesday.

·        Prince William Surgery Center closed Tuesday.

·        Manassas City Public Schools closed Tuesday. No trash or recycling service in the city of Manassas Tuesday. The Waste Transfer Station will also be closed.

·        Prince William County government is on unscheduled leave Tuesday. County offices will be open for business, but employees may take unscheduled leave.

·        Linton Hall School in Bristow will be closed Tuesday.

·        Fairfax County public schools and offices will be closed Tuesday.

·        Leesylvania State Park will be closed Tuesday.

·        All Northern Virginia Community College campuses and administrative offices will remain closed through noon Tuesday. Operating status for Tuesday afternoon will be announced by 9 a.m. Tuesday morning.

·        Prince William County Senior Day Program and Senior Centers will be closed Tuesday.

·        Federal government offices in the D.C. area closed Tuesday. Non-emergency employees will be granted administrative leave, emergency employees need to report to work unless otherwise directed.

·        VRE service cancelled Tuesday.

·        Stafford County Public Schools will be closed Tuesday. Employees are Code 1.

·        Manassas Park City Schools will be closed for all students and staff Tuesday.

·        Fairfax County government offices will be closed Tuesday.

·        No PRTC bus service on Tuesday.

·        Fort Belvoir will operate under Emergency Essential Only Conditions Tuesday. Only emergency essential garrison employees will report for work. Employees of other Belvoir agencies should check with their own supervisors. The Visitor Processing Operations Center will be closed. All DFMWR facilities are closed. Providing there is power, the commissary intends to open. Recommend calling in advance at 703-806-6674.

Please check InsideNova for updates on closings.

Visit here for weather related updates from Prince William County Government.

Check the Virginia Department of Emergency Management for more safety tips, and more information on tracking the hurricane.