You likely have read about or seen that Interstate 95 wintry nightmare. It all started when a single truck jackknifed on that heavily-traveled route that connects Richmond and Washington DC. It is one of our nation’s busiest highways. A chain reaction of an almost unbelievable proportion transpired.

Heavy snowfall, plunging temperatures and a rainy start prevented any pre-treatment. Fortunately there were no deaths or injuries. But hundreds — some reports claim thousands — of motorists were stranded overnight Monday into Tuesday.

Lanes in both directions eventually became blocked along a 40-mile stretch of I-95 between Richmond and Washington, D.C. As hours passed and night fell, motorists posted messages on social media about running out of fuel, food and water. Think of the hygiene aspect to all of this. Hey, there aren’t many potties stationed along roadways. It had to have been terrible for some motorists such as those with infants and out of diapers.

One couple was just 100 feet from an exit but could not move for 16 hours. The big issue was not a lack of manpower but the difficulty of getting workers and equipment through the snow and ice to where they needed to be. Nearly 11 inches of snow fell. Motorists were warmed by state police to avoid driving unless absolutely necessary especially with nighttime icing approaching. Obviously, that advice was ignored by many.

Being stranded for an intolerable amount of time is one thing. Being stranded without some necessary supplies that we have all been encouraged to carry but — given human nature — unlikely do so is something else.

Let’s face it: how many of us have an emergency kit in our vehicle? Thought so. How many of us have been stranded in bad weather? Maybe not for 12, 16 or 18 hours but stranded nevertheless? Maybe with kids in the car? Low on fuel and trying to avoid running the vehicle for heat lest you run out of gas? At least some of us at some point.

How many of us can say we will never be stranded in dire circumstances? Of course nobody who drives can say that. Let’s face it, we get our share of scary weather in our parts. True, too, our road crews and weather management teams are better at responding than those in, say, Virginia, which doesn’t usually get harsh snowfalls that we get more often than they do.

So, consider what happened down there be a prompt for putting an emergency kit together. Here are some recommendations via AAA:

— Mobile phone with important phone numbers, including personal emergency contacts, family members and emergency services; be sure to include an extra charger or power storage device.

— Drinking water or electrolyte-replenishing sports drinks (they have a slightly lower freezing temperature).

— First aid kit, including extra doses of whatever medications are needed by you and your family members in addition to any traveling pets.

— Non-perishable snacks for both human and pet passengers.

— Bag of abrasive material (sand, salt, cat litter) or traction mats.

— Snow shovel.

— Blankets or sleeping bag.

— Additional pieces of warm clothing (gloves, hats, scarves) .

— Flashlight in addition to extra batteries .

— Extra window washer fluid .

— Ice scraper with brush.

— Some rags or roll of paper towels.

— Jumper cables, cleaned and recently checked.

— Warning devices (flares or reflective hazard signs) .

— Basic household tool kit (for instance, screwdrivers, pliers, adjustable wrench, small hammer, electrical or duct tape).

— A bag of kitty litter or sand to use for traction.

— A small, type ABC fire extinguisher. It’s also important that you learn how to use it.

— A paper map in case you lose data signal or can’t see snow-covered signs.