THIS is why you should have a Get Home Bag

Everyday Preparedness

“Everyday Preparedness” is one of the things the American Preppers Network strongly advices – even over “doomsday preparedness” one of the easiest things a person can do to get themselves more prepared in everyday life is to pack a Get Home Bag and keep one for each person inside the vehicle they are traveling in.

Recently a severe winter storm stuck the traditionally warm southern region of the country stranding thousands of motorists and school children alike. “Get Homes Bags are practically designed for such emergencies,” says life long prepper and author Stephanie Dayle. “Putting a bag together is one of the best things a person to can do to immediately become more prepared for things could happen to anyone. A Get Home Bag at would’ve given those folks something eat, something to drink and way to stay warm and calm while trapped on the road…. And it would’ve given them the clothing, gear and the confidence needed to walk home safely if need be.”

“Get Home Bags for Everyday People” was published in November of 2013 just prior to winter’s arrival. It is one of the most thorough and easy to understand articles on Get Home Bags we’ve seen to date. It even includes a printable check list of things to pack in your Get Home Bag.df

-Here’s the story as it was developing on Wednesday 1/29/14-

A car sits in a ditch along with other abandoned cars after running out of gas. 

As reported by Fox News:  ”Rescue efforts are under way Wednesday after thousands of schoolchildren and hundreds of drivers in the Deep South spent the night stranded at schools and along ice-covered highways following a rare winter storm that brought freezing rain, snow and bitter cold to the region.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed says “a lot of people” are still stranded in their cars on the highways nearly 24 hours the storm slammed the city, but he is not sure of exactly how many people.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said the Georgia State Patrol is also sending troopers to schools where children remain stuck after spending the night in classrooms. He also said state transportation crews are continuing to treat roads and bring gas to stranded motorists, adding that the state’s goal Wednesday is to make sure every stranded driver gets offered the opportunity to go somewhere safe and warm.”

“ The mad rush began at the first sight of snow: Across the Atlanta area, schools let out early and commuters left for home after lunch, instantly creating gridlock as highways surrounding the city that rarely see snow were converted into treacherous paths of ice.

Cars stranded and abandoned on I-75.
Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

Atlanta, hub to major corporations, once again found itself unprepared to deal with the chaos — despite assurances that city officials had learned their lessons from a 2011 ice storm that brought the city to its knees.”

Overnight, the South saw fatal crashes and hundreds of fender-benders. Jackknifed 18-wheelers littered Interstate 65 in central Alabama. Ice shut down bridges on Florida’s panhandle and the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, one of the world’s longest spans, in Louisiana. Some commuters pleaded for help via cellphones while still holed up in their cars, while others trudged miles home, abandoning their vehicles outright.

Linda Moore spent 12 hours stuck in her car on Interstate 65 south of Birmingham before a firefighter used a ladder to help her cross the median wall and a shuttle bus took her to a hotel where about 20 other stranded motorists spent the night in a conference room.

“I boohooed a lot,” she said. “It was traumatic. I’m just glad I didn’t have to stay on that Interstate all night, but there are still people out there.”