Winter Storm Safety

Preparing for Winter Storm & Extreme Cold

• Know the terms relating to winter storms and extreme cold.

• Know the names of the counties in which you live, work and frequent. County names are used to identify areas at risk.

• Learn how to protect your family’s health during the winter months.

• Learn to dress appropriately for the winter.

• Learn the physical dangers to your body.

• Gather emergency supplies for work or home:

• A battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio and a battery-powered commercial radio and extra batteries. These may be your only links to the outside world if electrical service is interrupted.

• Foods that do not require cooking or refrigeration are best. Include high energy foods such as dried fruit and candy.

• Extra medications and special items for babies, the disabled or elderly.

• Extra water in clean containers.

• Rock salt to melt ice on walkways and sand to improve traction.

• Flashlights and extra batteries. Do not use candies; they are a fire hazard.

• Winterize your home to extend the life of your fuel supply:

• Insulate walls and attics.

• Caulk and weather strip doors and windows.

• Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic.

• Take steps to prevent frozen water pipes:

• Locate and insulate pipes most susceptible to freezing—typically those near outer walls, in crawl spaces, or in attics.

• Wrap pipes with heat tape (UL approved).

• Seal any leaks that allow cold air inside where pipes are located.

• Disconnect garden hoses and shut off and drain water from pipes leading to outside faucets. This reduces the chance of freezing in the short span of pipe just inside the house.

• Make sure you and your family know how to shut off the water ,in case pipes burst. Prepare for possible isolation in your home:

• Make sure you have sufficient heating fuel. After a severe winter storm, regular fuel carriers may not reach you for days.

• Have emergency heating equipment (fireplaces, wood burning stoves or space heaters) and ample fuel so you can keep at least one room of your house warm enough to be livable. If your furnace is controlled by a thermostat and your electricity is cut off by a storm, you will need emergency heat. Another option is a kerosene heater. However, it is important that the manufacturers operating instructions be followed. Learn to use emergency heating sources properly to prevent a fire. Always ensure proper ventilation.

• Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure your family knows how to use them.

Prepare your vehicle for the winter:

• Winterize your vehicle following the suggested maintenance schedule included in the owners manual or have your vehicle serviced by a reputable dealer, garage, or mechanic.

• Check your wipers, tires, lights, and fluid levels (radiator, windshield washer, power steering, oil and brakes) regularly. Make sure the brakes and transmission are working properly. Lubricate door and trunk locks with lock lubricant to prevent them from freezing.

• Prepare a Winter Storm Survival Kit (See page 7) and carry it in your vehicle.

DURING A WINTER STORM AND EXTREME COLD

Listen to the radio or television for weather reports and emergency information. Dress for the season.

When At Home

• Stay indoors as much as possible.

• Wear layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing. Remove layers to avoid overheating, perspiration and subsequent chill.

• Conserve fuel if necessary by keeping your house cooler than normal. Temporarily “close off’ heat to some rooms.

• Hang blankets over windows at nigh t(let the sunshine in during the day). Stuff cracks around doors with rugs, newspapers, towels or other such material.

• When using alternative heat from a fireplace, wood stove, space heater, etc., use safeguards and ensure proper ventilation.

• Refuel kerosene heaters outside and keep them at least three feet away from flammable objects.

• If you have no heat, close off unneeded rooms and place towels or rags under the doors. Cover windows at night. Eat to supply heat and drink non-alcoholic beverages to avoid dehydration.

WINTER STORM SURVIVAL KIT

• Blankets/sleeping bags

• Flashlight with extra batteries

• First-aid kit

• Knife

• High calorie, non-perishable food

• Extra clothing to keep dry

• A large empty can and plastic cover with tissues and paper towels for sanitary purposes

• Smaller can and water-proof matches to melt snow for drinking water

• Sack of sand (or cat litter)

• Shovel

• Windshield scraper and brush

• Tool kit

• Tow rope

• Booster cables

• Water container

• Compass and road maps

FROSTBITE AND HYPOTHERMIA

• Frostbite is a severe reaction to cold exposure of the skin that can permanently damage fingers, toes, the nose, and ear lobes. Symptoms are numbness and a white or pale appearance to the skin. When symptoms are apparent, seek medical help immediately. If medical help is not immediately available, slowly warm the affected areas. If the victim is also showing signs of hypothermia, always warm the body core before the extremities.

• Hypothermia, or low body temperature, is a condition brought on when the body temperature drops to less than 95 degrees F. Symptoms include slow or slurred speech, incoherence, memory loss, disorientation, uncontrollable shivering, drowsiness, repeated stumbling, and apparent exhaustion. If these symptoms are detected, take the person’s temperature. If below 95 degrees F, immediately seek medical attention. If medical help is not available, begin warming the person slowly. Always warm the body core first. Get the person into dry clothing, and wrap them in a warm blanket covering the head and neck. As a last resort, use your own body heat to warm the victim. Do not give the victim alcohol, drugs, coffee, or any hot beverage. Warm broth is better. Do not warm extremities (arms and legs) first. This drives the cold blood toward the heart and can lead to heart failure.

• Remember, wind chill temperatures apply only to people and other living things. If the temperature is 35 degrees F and the wind chill is 10 degrees F, objects such as pipes or cars will only cool to 35 degrees F. The wind chill factor does not apply to non-living objects.