The first storm of the season is out there, somewhere, and it’s getting closer every day. Big, bad and looking for trouble, this blustery monster is packing a punch and heading our way. Are you ready?

The fun begins when the gusts top 30 miles per hour and twigs and branches sail down. At 40 mph, bigger limbs crack and snap. By 50 mph, hang onto your hat and anything else that’s handy as weaker trees topple, especially after a heavy rain. Hit 60 mph on the wind gauge and even the biggest, healthiest trees can come right through the roof.

Good times, eh? Well, they aren’t quite so bad if you’ve planned ahead. Amazingly, I’ve discovered it’s much easier to find a lost flashlight before the wind howls. And batteries? Better snap up the Duracells while you can. Good luck finding a D-cell on the day after.

I won’t get into the whole preparedness checklist (there are better places for that, such as at PSE.com under “Safety and Reliability”), but the time to get ready is now. The basics include flashlights and batteries, a battery-powered radio and clock, bottled water (about a gallon per person per day) and non-perishable foods. Blankets or sleeping bags are always welcome, and a first aid kit is essential. Ditto for a family communication plan.

Whether it’s a windstorm, big snow or earthquake, nobody ever kicked themselves for being too prepared. PSE takes preparation seriously, with everything from mock storm drills to year-round vegetation management. This year we spent more than $12 million on tree trimming, and more than $500,000 planting new trees that are more compatible with power lines.

Even with all of our vegetation management, many outages early in the fall season are caused by leaves and branches. I bet you didn’t know that Mother Nature works with us to clean things up so that our power lines are clear when the heavy rains and snow hit after Thanksgiving and into the New Year.

On top of that fun fact, technology will also help us keep you better informed with a detailed outage map at PSE.com. When severe weather strikes, we will assess the damage and then post online our estimates of when the power will be restored to your area. It’s a weird twist on the information age, but during the big December 2006 windstorm the number of hits on our PSE.com Web site went way up, even though many of us were out of power. We either logged on at work or with friends who had power – or even had out-of-state friends or relatives get to the Web for us. Now, we’ll be able to give you better, more reliable information faster than ever the next time a storm hits.

And no two ways about it, there will be a next time. We simply live in a part of the world with too much wind and more than a few trees. Not to mention snow, ice, geologic fault lines and a volcano or two that can get dramatic.

Make it a family project to put together an emergency kit and plan. You’ll sleep better knowing you’re ready, and you’ll be a whole lot better off when the evergreens start to sway.

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