Now Is NOT the Time To Buy Rock Salt
by Alex Lloyd Gross
Two to three days is not enough time to prepare for a winter storm. It becomes an exercise in frustration, as people rush to stores and stand in line for hours in the hope of picking up a bag of rock salt or a snow shovel. If you wait until the last minute, chances are you’ll wait for hours only to go home empty-handed.
With a storm threatening to dump a foot of snow on the ground—maybe more—the time to stock up was October, around Halloween. You could walk in, buy six bags if needed, and walk out in under five minutes. Yes, it will sit in a garage or basement, but think of all the time and frustration you save.
When certain areas get hit with storm after storm after storm, rock salt can, at times, be more valuable than gold. PennDOT has, on occasion, had to rely on the goodwill of states that have an abundance of salt. The same goes for DelDOT and NJDOT. It’s not due to poor planning; it’s simply that the 100 million tons of salt they have can become depleted.
One way to cut back on the use of salt is by applying a brine solution to the roads. The Philadelphia Streets Department mixes this solution at the depot located at State Road and Ashburner Street.
Now is a good time to have batteries on hand for flashlights and small appliances. In the case of a power outage, outdoor grilling could be the only way to cook food, so stock up on charcoal and propane. Stores have plenty in stock and no limits.
Alex Lloyd Gross File Photo Delaware Valley News.com Plows get put on trucks in Philadelphia.
If your power does go out, you can place perishables in a cooler and store them outside; they will stay cold for days. How will you charge your cellphone during a power outage? Do you have power packs? Candles? Extra blankets?
A radio is also a good item to have. They run on batteries and are a good source of information and entertainment. If you own a vehicle, how are your tires? Four balding tires are a recipe for an accident—or getting stranded somewhere.