Six to twelve inches of snow proved to be too chaotic for Sayreville, with roads slick with ice and sidewalks buried under heavy piles of snow. Even nationally people weren’t prepared.
Various TikTok users claimed that letting your faucet drip slightly can prevent pipes from freezing. While this may be true, it highlights citizens’ paranoia and desperation for safety. Luckily, a former cub scout, and current English and Mythology teacher Mr. Wrightson is here to help. In honor of the recent snow storm, here are tips to surviving this frosty season.
“Keep a book of matches and a small tea candle in your car if you live somewhere with a high chance of snow. The warmth from the candle is enough to keep away hypothermia overnight if you get stuck in your car from snow,” is Wrightson’s first piece of advice.
Hypothermia occurs when the body loses heat faster than it produces it, usually due to prolonged exposure to cold temperatures. Tea candles can help prevent this because they provide a source of warmth. Since they are easy to find at stores like Walmart, Walgreens, and Target, this method is both affordable and realistic.
Sayreville might not get an insane amount of snow, but in case you encounter this predicament, Mr. Wrightson says, “If [you’re] stuck in snow [like an avalanche while skiing/snowboarding], spit and see which direction it falls to find ‘up’ again.”
Similarly, if you fall in ice while skating, “look for small pockets of air right against the ice to breath. When getting out, be slow and spread yourself wide like a seal so you don’t break the ice getting out.”
Another scary situation, yet a common winter hazard, is driving on ice. According to the USDOT Federal Highway Administration data, there is an average of 1,836 deaths and 136,309 injuries per year due to icy roads. To reduce the risk, Wrightson warns drivers, “NEVER slam on the brakes or the wheels will lock up and you’ll be ice skating in a car. Pump the brakes gently and slowly and you should be able to regain control of the car.”
He also recommends keeping supplies in your trunk, explaining that having “some kitty litter or sand in the trunk…to stop your tires from just spinning if you get stuck in snow/ice/mud. Throwing some under the tires will help them gain traction and get moving again.”
Although we are in the depths of winter, it is not the only season we experience. If on the way to your lake house during summer break “your car goes underwater, make sure all of the windows and doors stay closed until you’re ready to escape. Then follow the S.C.O.U.T. method: Seatbelts off, Children freed, Open/break windows, Underwater, Take breath, Exit immediately.”
If you still decide to go on a hike in Jersey’s humidity pray you don’t get lost. If you do, Wrightson emphasizes, “STAY WHERE YOU ARE. When people come looking for you, they’ll go where you last were supposed to be. If you don’t know which is the right direction, you could end up walking MILES in the wrong direction and further away from people looking for you. Hundreds of people (sometimes thousands) go missing in U.S. National Parks every year.”
If instead you decide to cool off during the heat, watch out for the mysteries of the beach. “Never fight a rip current when swimming in oceans or rivers. Let it carry you sideways, while making slow progress diagonally to the shore. It’ll take a while, but you won’t get as tired and overwhelmed as going straight.”
Mr. Wrightson’s advice shows that survival does not always require expensive equipment. Sometimes, simple knowledge can save your life!
