Cold Weather and Winter Safety

8/14/2019 Cold Weather and Winter Safety

1/16

2010

RobVajko

1/13/2010

Cold Weather and Winter Safety

Thetime

to

start

preparing

for

a

winterstormisnot10minutesafter

youveheardthatoneisontheway


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Cold Weather and Winter Safety

Christmas may be over but winter is just started with the coldest and snowiest months still ahead

of us. With snow and extreme temperatures come a whole new set of challenges we need to take

on in order to stay safe. In the next few pages we are going to look at all the areas we need to

prepare for in order to stay healthy and safe regardless of what Mother Nature throws at us.

Being prepared no matter what comes our way is crucial. Once the blizzard has struck it is

usually too late to start trying to put together an emergency kit. Knowing what to do and how to

do it can mean the difference between life and death.

Some of the topics we are going to be looking at in the next few days include:

How to prepare your home so that you stay safe when that big winter storm hits. How to get your vehicle ready in case you are on the road when the storm hits or have to

go out in bad weather.

What to do during the storm What to do after the storm How to avoid Frostbite and Hypothermia Carbon Dioxide Poisoning during and after winter storms How to safely heat your home How to cook and eat safely without power A lot more

UnderstandingthetermsAs with any issue, it is important to know the terms and the vocabulary.

Whats the difference, for example, between a Winter Storm Outlook and a Winter Storm

Watch? What about the difference between snow squalls, snow flurries and snow showers? Its

important to know the difference because itll make a big difference in how you prepare and

what you do or dont do.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gives us the following definitions:

Winter Storm Warning: Issued when hazardous winter weather in the form of heavy

snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet is imminent or occurring. Winter Storm Warnings

are usually issued 12 to 24 hours before the event is expected to begin.


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Winter Storm Watch: Alerts the public to the possibility of a blizzard, heavy snow, heavy

freezing rain, or heavy sleet. Winter Storm Watches are usually issued 12 to 48 hours

before the beginning of a Winter Storm.

Winter Storm Outlook: Issued prior to a Winter Storm Watch. The Outlook is given when

forecasters believe winter storm conditions are possible and are usually issued 3 to 5 days

in advance of a winter storm.

Blizzard Warning: Issued for sustained or gusty winds of 35 mph or more, and falling or

blowing snow creating visibilities at or below mile; these conditions should persist for at

least three hours.

Lake Effect Snow Warn ing: Issued when heavy lake effect snow is imminent or occurring.

Lake Effect Snow Advisory: Issued when accumulation of lake effect snow will causesignificant inconvenience.

Wind Chill Warning: Issued when wind chill temperatures are expected to be hazardous to

life within several minutes of exposure.

Wind Chill Advisory: Issued when wind chill temperatures are expected to be a significant

inconvenience to life with prolonged exposure, and, if caution is not exercised, could lead to

hazardous exposure.

Winter W eather Advisories: Issued for accumulations of snow, freezing rain, freezing

drizzle, and sleet which will cause significant inconveniences and, if caution is not exercised,could lead to life-threatening situations.

Dense Fog Advisory: Issued when fog will reduce visibility to mile or less over a

widespread area.

Snow Flurries: Light snow falling for short durations. No accumulation or light dusting is all

that is expected.

Snow Showers: Snow falling at varying intensities for brief periods of time. Some

accumulation is possible.

Snow Squalls: Brief, intense snow showers accompanied by strong, gusty winds.

Accumulation may be significant. Snow squalls are best known in the Great Lakes region.


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Blowing Snow: Wind-driven snow that reduces visibility and causes significant drifting.

Blowing snow may be snow that is falling and/or loose snow on the ground picked up by the

wind.

Sleet: Rain drops that freeze into ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet usually

bounces when hitting a surface and does not stick to objects. However, it can accumulate

like snow and cause a hazard to motorists.

Freezing Rain: Rain that falls onto a surface with a temperature below freezing. This

causes it to freeze to surfaces, such as trees, cars, and roads, forming a coating or glaze of

ice. Even small accumulations of ice can cause a significant hazard.

(Taken from the NOAA website at http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/s794c.htm )

BeingPrepared:When the worst hits, being prepared and knowledgeable is key. So, what it is that we are exactly

getting ready for? Heres a quick list:

Power outages Winter storms often bring with them a loss of power. Best case scenariothe power is restored quickly and you dont have to cope with the problems that arise

because you have no power. Worst case scenario, the power might be out for days or

even weeks, depending on where you live and how quickly the power company is able to

get to you. Loss of heat With the loss of power, often comes loss of heat because heaters are

dependent on electricity to run. Even some non-electric heaters use electricity to ignitethem and keep them running properly.

Inability to get out Winter storms can dump a lot of snow or ice in a short time and youmay not be able to get out for a few days. Is there enough food in the house to last till

road crews or thaw allows you to get to the store?

Health considerations Even if road crews get to your street (assuming you live in anarea where road crews shovel and deice) they arent going to take care of your driveway

for you and youre going to have to dig yourself out. With the loss of heat, other healthconsiderations come into play. Bottom line, you need to consider now if you are healthy

enough, if you have the medication you need for yourself and others in the house.

Fires Space heaters and fireplace fires increase the risk of fires in your home. Carbon Monoxide poisoning It happens every year; people trying to stay warm or

trying to cook indoors are overcome by CO and die. Understanding the how and why of

CO poisoning is crucial to proper winter safety.


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Hypothermia Even in moderately cool temperatures, hypothermia can set in when thebodys core temperature drops too low. Know how to recognize, prevent and treat

hypothermia.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are many other considerations to deal with (how to

handle getting stranded in your car, for example). In the next few days we are going to look at

these various threats to safety and learn what to do to prepare against them, how to deal with

them when they strike and how to successfully survive these winter and cold hazards.

GettingthehousereadyforawinterstormThetimetostartpreparingforawinterstormisnot10minutesafteryouveheardthatoneisonthe

way.Properpreparationsmuststartasearlyasthefalloreventhesummer.Why?Becauseproper

preparationof

the

house

starts

with

making

sure

that

the

house

is

properly

insulated.

If

and

when

a

winterstormhits,havingahomethatcankeepthecoldoutandthewarmthinisgoingtogoalongway

tohelpingyousuccessfullyrideoutthehazardsinvolvedwithlossofpower,lossofheat,etc

Heresaquickchecklisttohelpyougetyourhomeready:

AtticinsulationHeatrisessomostofyourheatlossisgoingtocomefromanimproperlyinsulatedattic.

WallinsulationChancesarethatyourhomehasproperinsulationinthewallsbutitiscrucialthatyoumakesurebeforeitstoolatetodoanythingaboutit.

Doorsandwindowso

If

you

dont

have

double

paned

thermal

windows

get

them.

Its

an

investment

that

will

payoff,notonlyduringwinterstormsbuttherestofthewinteraswell.Ifyouhave

stormwindowsinstead,makesureyougetthemupearlyinthefall;itisntgoingtobe

muchfunrunningaroundtryingtogetthemuprightbeforethestormorcoldfronthits

nottomentiondangerous.

o Ifnecessary,addplasticfilmontheinsideofwindowsforaddedinsulation(Kitsareavailableatanyhomeimprovementstore).

o Makesurethatyourdoorsandwindowsareproperlycaulkedandleakfree.Feelaroundalldoorsandwindowsfordraftsandsealthemproperly.

o Makesurethedoorsandwindowsthemselvesareproperlysealed.Tryusingadollarbill.Putitinthedoororwindow,closeitandtrytopullitfree.Ifitpullsoutwithout

muchresistance,youdonthaveagoodseal.Addweatherstripping.

Insulateyourpipesagainstfreezing.Burstpipesarenotonlymessybutdangerous.Followthewaterlinesallthewayandmakesurethattheyareproperlycovered.Pipeinsulationisfairly

inexpensiveatanyhomeimprovementstore.Themoneyspentwillbemoneywellspent;

plumberchargealotofmoneytocomeoutinbittercoldtomendyourburstpipes.


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CrawlspacesGetunderthehouseatleastonceayeartocheckoutanypossibleproblems.Undetectedwaterleakscancauserotinthewood.Animalscangetinandpullouttheinsulation

tonestin.Makesurethateverythingisproperlyinsulatedandprotected.

ChimneyMakesurethatyourchimneyorflueisclean.Manyhousefiresarestartedeachyearwhensedimentandashbuildupinthechimneyorflueignites.Cleanitregularlyandhaveit

inspected.Dontendupoutinthecoldwhenyouweretryingtoheatupthehouseand

accidentallyburnitdown.

SmokeDetectorMakesurethattheyareinstalledandinproperworkingorder;yourlifemaydependonit.

CarbonMonoxideDetectorsAgain,makesurethattheyareproperlyinstalledandinworkingorder.Replacebatteriesyearly.

Awinterstormisessentiallyanassaultonyourhome.Likeacastle(amanshomeis,afterall,hiscastle)

itisessentialtoproperlyfortifyagainsttheenemyattack.Postthischecklistandfollowiteachyearand

your

home

should

be

properly

fortified

against

a

winter

assault.

GettingyourvehiclereadyforwinterWevetalkedaboutwhattodotoprepareyourhomeforwinterstormsandcoldweather.Thatisnt,

however,theonlyplaceyoustandyourtime.Besideswork,ifyouarelikemostAmericanstoday,you

spendagoodbitoftimeeachdayinsideyourcarortruck.Toaddtotheprobabilityofyougettingstuck

insideyourvehicleisthefactthat,ifandwhenawinterstormstartsheadingyourway,youareprobably

goingtowanttotrytoraceithome.Today,then,wearegoingtolookatgettingyourvehiclereadyso

that1)youroddsofgettingstrandedinabrokendownvehiclearereducedand2)ifyoushould,

nonetheless

get

stranded

in

a

winter

storm,

your

odds

of

coming

through

unscathed

will

be

greatly

increased.

Getyourvehiclewinterizedo Thisincludesfirstandforemosthavingtheradiatorservicedandtheantifreezelevel

levelsanddegreeofresistancetofreezingmeasuredwithanantifreezetester.Add

antifreezeifneeded.

o Winterizedyourwindshieldwiperfluidbymakingsureithasawintermixtureo Checkyourtirepressureandmakesurethatthetreadisstillgood.Ifnecessary,replace

worntires.Ifyouareinanareathatgetsalotofsnow,considergettingstuddedtires.

o Keepyourgastanknearfullasmuchaspossibletokeepgaslinesfromfreezing Itemstokeepinyourvehicle:

o SnowShovelo WindshieldScrapero Flashlighto Basictoolkito Abagofsando Saltoricemelt


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o Chainso Blanketsandextraclothingo JumperCableso Energybarandotherhighproteinandenergyfoodso EmergencyflaresorFlareAlertKito BasicFirstAidKito RepairaFlataerosolcano Watero Alsomakesurethatyoukeepafullychargedcellphonewithyouatalltimes

Whattodoifstrandedinavehicle Itisusuallybesttostaywiththevehicleespeciallyifvisibilityisbadorifroadconditionsare

especiallyharsh(ice,snow,etc).

Tieabrightlycoloredragorcloth(anarticleofclothing)onthetopoftheantenna.Thiswillkeepyouatleastpartiallyvisibleevenifsnowcontinuestocoverthecar.Asthesnowgetsdeeper,

considertyingthecoloredrag/clothtoapoleorotheritemthatyoucanpushhigheruptoallow

forcontinuedvisibility.

Ifitisnotsnowing,popthehoodofthevehicle.Thisisusuallyaclearindicationthatthevehicleisstranded.

Removetheemergencyitemsthatyouhaveinthetrunktothemainpassengerarea. Runtheenginetoheatupthevehiclefor10minutesforeveryhour.Makesure,however,that

theexhaustisclearsothatitisntpumpingCObackintothecar.10minutesofheatforevery

hourwillmaximizethetimeyouwillbeabletostayinthevehiclebasedontheamountofgas

thatyouhave.

Wrapeveryoneinextraclothing,blanketsandnewspaper.Makesureyoucoveryourfaceandheadaswellsoastominimizeheatloss.

Huddletogetherforwarmth. Whilestayinginsidethevehicletrytomoveasmuchaspossibleinordertokeepthecirculation

goingandtokeepwarmer.

Stayawake(anotherreasonwhymovingisimportant).Whenyouareawakeyouwillbeawareofcoldrelatedissuesandhearpossiblehelpthatyoumightmissifyouareasleep.

Donotdrinkalcohol.Itisnot,contrarytopopularbelief,anantifreezeforthebody.Onthecontraryitthinsthebloodandincreasesthelikelihoodofcoldrelatedissues.

Donoteatunmeltedsnowasthebenefitsthatyougetfromthewaterarenotworththeloweringofyourbodytemperature.

HomeEmergencyKitHaving put together a list of items that should in the emergency kit for the car, we are going to

turn today to the emergency kit for the home. If and when snow should keep you indoors, in and


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when the power should go out, it is important to be prepared so what exactly is it important to

have on hand to not just survive but to do so with a minimum of inconvenience?

The first thing youre going to need is an alternate form of heat. A fireplace requires dryfire wood, as does a wood stove. A kerosene heater requires fuel.

You are also going to need matches. It is best to have enough matches set aside in awaterproof container, especially for such emergencies. Do not rely on your regular supply

of matches! All too often you go to get them and find that they are gone. Do not takechances. Keep a separate supply specifically for emergencies.

Fully stocked first aid kit. Make sure that it is large enough to take care of everyone whois going to be in the house.

Blankets A battery-powered radio A battery-powered clock (your cell phone is not an option as it requires electricity to

recharge and you may no longer be able to use it if the emergency lasts) A can opener (Not an electric one) A multipurpose tool Plenty of supplies for your pets Battery-powered sources of light Plenty of batteries for all the above Plenty of special needs items like prescription medications, contact lens solution, diapers,

etc)

Plenty of drinking water (you might not be able to depend on tap water if the pipes freezeor burst). You will need 5 gallons per person.

Food (You are going to need food that wont go bad when the refrigerator looses power)o Dry food (Bread, crackers, dried fruit, jerky, cereal, cookies, etc)o Candy and Chocolate for energyo Canned foodo Baby formula (if you have infants)

Additional items you might want to have include:o Tarpso Duct Tapeo Scissorso Bleacho Surgical Maskso Rain gearo Gloves (rubber gloves and work gloves)o Bleacho Games, reading materials and other items to keep everyone entertained


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HeatingduringawinterpoweroutageAnytime

we

are

moving

to

an

alternate

form

of

heat

there

are

inherent

dangers

to

be

considered

especiallyifyouhavesmallchildrenand/orpetsinthehouse.Todaywearegoingtocomeupwitha

safetychecklistforthisalternateformofheattoensurethatstayingwarmdoesntturnintoatragedy.

Alltheseformsofheatareviableoptionsandinherentlysafeifcertainprecautionsaretaken.

Firstofallyouneedtoknowwhichalternateformsofheatarelegalinyourarea.Insomeareas,Keroseneheatersarenotallowed.Callyourlocalfiredepartmenttofindoutwhatisallowed

andwhatisnt.Whileyoureonthephonewiththem,askthemwhatrecommendationsthey

havefortheparticulartypeofheatyouaregoingtobeusingasabackup.

Secondly,beawarethatthesenewformsofheatmayposedifferentsafetyissuesthantheone(s)youusenormally.Understandwhichbyproductsaregivenoffforeachformofheatyou

aregoing

to

be

using

in

order

to

be

adequately

prepared.

Have

asmoke

detector

and

aCO

monitorinstalledifyoudontalreadyhaveone.Makesurethattheyareinworkingorderand

changethebatteriesinthefalleveryyeartomakesurethattheywontdiewhenyouneed

themmost(Thesummermonthswonttraditionallyrequireheatsotherisksarelessduring

thosemonths).

Ifyouhaveafireplaceorawoodstovethatyouaregoingtobeusing,makesurethattheyareinoperablecondition.Getthechimneycleanedbyaprofessionalor,ifyouaretheDIYtype,make

sureyouknowwhatyouaredoingandmakesurethatthejobisdoneright.Afterthestormhits

isnotthetimetobeclimbingupontherooftryingtoclearachimneythathasbeencloggedby

abirdsnestorobstructed.Neitherareyougoingtobehappyifachimneyfirestartsbecause

thechimneybuilduphasnotbeenproperlycleanedout.

Anotheralternateformofheatmayincludeelectricheaterspoweredbyagenerator.Makesurethatthegeneratorisingoodworkingorder.Getitservicedinthefalltomakesureitsgoingto

fireupwhenyouneedit.

Neverputspaceheatersontopofortooclosetofurnitureordrapes Onlyuseelectricheatersthatautomaticallyshutoffandhavenonglowingelements.Makesure

thatallheatersareULapproved,inspectedandcleanbeforeusingthem.

Alwayshaveafireextinguisherreadilyavailable Ifyouareusingagenerator,makesurethatitisfarenoughfromthehousetoproperlyventilate

sothatCOisntpipingbackintothehouse.NEVERrunageneratorinsidethehouse,inthe

garageorinanyotherenclosedspace.

IfusingextensioncordsmakesurethattheyareULratedandadequatefortheusageyouareputting

them

to

Keepanyorallelectriccords,generatorsandheatersawayfromwater.Beawareofthe

surroundingareaaswell.Justbecausethereisntanywatertherenowdoesntmeanthatif

wontbelater.Knowwhereleakscouldcomefrom,wheredripsmightaccumulateorwhere

runningwatermightcomefrom;alsobeawareofareaswherecondensationmightbecomean

issue.


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Donotuseheaterswhileyouaresleepingorwhenyouarentaround.Donotusewheresmallchildrenandpetsareunsupervised.Makesurethatthechildrenandpetscannotgettothe

heaterandburnthemselves.

WhattododuringawinterstormNowthatallthepreparationshavebeenmade,letslookatwhattodoandwhatnottodooncethe

winterstormhits.

Watchinfantsclosely.Infantsloosebodyheataloteasierandalotfasterthanadultsdo.Additionally,theirtinybodiescantgeneratethekindofheatthatanadultscanbyshivering.

Becauseofthis,itisimperativethatyoumonitorthemcloselyandmakesurethattheyare

getting

enough

heat.

Do

not

let

them

sleep

in

an

unheated

room.

Wrap

them

warmly

and,

if

necessary,shareyouownbodyheatbuttakeprecautionsnottorolloveronthemwhile

sleeping.

Watchelderlypeoplecloselyaswell.Becauseofaslowermetabolismandaninabilitytomoveasmuch,theytoodonotgenerateasmuchbodyheat.Makesurethattheytooarewarmly

dressedandwrapped.Thinkaboutelderlyneighborsandfamily.Theyoftenwillnotactively

seekouthelp.

Checkthetemperatureinthehouseonaregularbasis,notjustinthemainroombutinotherroomsaswell,ifanyoneisgoingtobespendingtimethere,especiallyifsleeping.

Leavetapsslightlyopeninordertokeepwaterpipesfromfreezingandbursting Sealoffunusedroomsandstufftowelsunderthedoorstocontainheatintheareasyouwillbe

using.Keepoutsidedoorsandwindowsclosedasmuchaspossibleinordernottoallow

accumulatedheattoescape.

Donotusesnowasasourceofwater,exceptasaverylastresort.Getwaterfromneighborsoranyothersourcefirst.Ifyouabsolutelymustusesnowasasourceofwater,boilitfirsttokill

anymicroorganismsandparasites(Boilingwillnot,however,removeanyofthechemicalsand

pollutantswhichmaybeharmfultoyou).

Eatwellbalancedmeals.Eatingisntenough.Duringextremecold,morethananyothertime,youneedtomakesurethatyouaregettingnotonlyenoughcaloriesbutenoughvitaminsand

mineralstoallowyoubodytofunctionatitsbest.

Donotdrinkalcoholorcaffeinatedbeveragesastheydehydrateandcauseyoutoloseheatrapidly.

Asmuchaspossible,drinkwarmbeveragestoincreaseyoucoretemperature.Evenwaterorother

beverages

should

not

be

ice

cold;

try

to

drink

them

as

warm

as

you

can

in

order

not

to

loweryourbodytemperature.

Trytokeepaircirculationtoaminimuminordertoavoidlosingheatbutdonotdosoattheexpenseofindoorairquality.Whencooking,beawareoftheriskstotheairqualityandtake

adequatemeasurestoprotectagainstthem.Neveruseacharcoalorgasgrillindoors,the


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outcomecanbefatalandeveryyearwehearofoneormorepeoplesuffocatingindoors

becauseofit.

Playboardgames,singsongs,tellstories,readstoriesaloud,etcinordertokeepeveryoneinagood

frame

of

mind.

Do

not

allow

the

mood

to

become

bleak

and

depressing.

The

way

we

respondtoourcircumstancesandadversitiesiscrucialtohowwedealwiththem.Staying

positiveandupbeatgoesalongway.

StayingsafewhileoutinthebadweatherFrostbiteandhypothermiaaretwoofthemoredangeroushazardsthatyouarelikelytoencounter

whileoutsideincoldweather.Understandingwhattheyare,whatthesymptomsareandhowtoprotect

againstthemiscrucial.

Keypointsinprotectingagainstextremeweather:

LayeryourclothingLayersallowtheairpocketsbetweenlayerstowarmupandworkasaddedinsulation.

StaydryMoistureandhumidityretaincoldandtransferittothebody(Sweat,isafterall,intendedtocoolthebodydownwhenitheatsup)

Beawarenotonlyofwhatisbelowyoufeetbutalsoaboveyourhead.Becarefuloficeandsnowaccumulationthatmayfallonyou.

Beawareofwhatisunderthesnowthatyouarewalkingthrough.Icecanoftenwarmupunderthesnowandbecomethinenoughtoposeaserioushazard.

Makesurethatsomeonealwaysknowswhereyouareatwhenyouareoutinextremeweather.Ifpossibledonotgooutalone.Ifyouneedtogooutalonemakesurethatyounotifysomeone

of

where

exactly

you

will

be

going

and

when

they

can

expect

you

back.

Protectallexposedskin. Listentoyourbody.Whenyoustarttofeelnumb,whenyoustarttoshiver,whenyoustartto

feelsleepy,theseareallsignsthatyouneedtopayattentionto.

Understandhowthewindchillfactoraffectsyou.Thefollowingchartwillhelpyoudressandrespondappropriatelybasedonthewindspeed


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HypothermiaFirstofall,weneedtodispelthemyththathypothermiaissomethingthatonlyoccursinextremelycold

weather.Thoughitismorelikelywithextremecold,hypothermiacansetintemperaturesthatare

consideredonlycool.Hypothermiacansetinwhenevertheoutsidetemperaturecoolsyourbodyfaster

thanyourbodycangenerateheat.Recognizingthesignsofhypothermiaiscrucialasearlyaspossible

becauseitcanquicklycausethebraintonolongerfunctionproperlyimpedingyourabilitytothink

correctly.

Certainpeoplearemorepronetohypothermiasoitisimportanttoknowifyouorsomeoneyouknowis

inoneofthefollowingcategories:

Infantsandveryyoungchildrenwhosebodiescantgenerateasmuchheatorasrapidlyasadults.

Elderlypeoplewhosebodiesoftenbegintofunctionslower Peopletakingdrugsoralcohol Peoplewhospendlongperiodsoftimeoutinthecold Peoplewhoaredehydratedorundernourished

Warningsignsofhypothermiaare: Fatigueand/orexhaustion Drossiness Shivering Disorientation


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Speechproblems(slurringofwords,losingthetrainofthought,mumbling,etc) Memoryloss Reddeningoftheskin Coldandclammyskin

HandlinghypothermiaIfyoucan,takethepersonstemperature.Temperaturebelow95degreesrequiresimmediatemedical

attention.Getthemtoahospital.Ifthetemperatureisjustabove95degreesorifthereisnowaytoget

toahospitalyouneedtowarmthepersonup.Takethesesteps:

Getthemsomewherewarm Removeanywetclothingimmediately Warmthecoreofthebodyfirst,thismeansthechestarea,theneck,theheadandthegroin

area.

Useblankets,heaters,electricblanketsaswellasskintoskincontact.Ifyouarewarm,yourownbodywarmthcanrapidlyhelpincreasethevictimsbodytemperature.Makesure,however,

thatyouarestayingwarmaswell.Twovictimsinsteadofoneisnothelpful.

Administerwarmbeverages(noalcohol) Keepthepersonwarmandgetthemtoahospitalassoonaspossibleiftheirtemperaturefell

below95degreesatanypoint.

AvoidingFrostbiteYesterdaywelookedathypothermia.Theotherrealdangerinwinterandextremecoldweatheris

frostbite.

Frostbitecomesaboutwhentheskintissueiskilledbecauseoffreezing.Exposedskinisthemost

susceptiblebuttoesandfinger,evenwhentheyarecoveredarealsoatrisk.Otherhighriskareasare

thenose,cheeks,earsandchin.Peoplewithpoorcirculationareatahigherriskforfrostbite.

Symptomsoffrostbite: Discoloredskin(whiteorgrayishyellow) Numbness Skinthatistough(likeleather)orwaxyratherthansupple

Therearethreedifferentlevelsoffrostbite:


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(takenfromWikipediaathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frostbite) FrostnipOnlytheverytoplayeroftheskinisaffected.Thereareusuallynolonglastingeffects

fromthisleveloffrostbite.

SuperficialfrostbiteThefrostbitegoesalittledeeperbutdoesntgoallthewaydown DeepfrostbiteThefrostbitepenetratesdeeplyintotheskin.Thisleveloffrostbitealways

leavesscaringandmayrequireamputationforwidespreadareaorfingers,noseandtoes.

Preventingfrostbite:Stayingwarmandproperlycoveringallexposedskinistheonlywaytopreventfrostbite.Donotstayin

extremecoldforextendedperiodsoftime.Coverallexposedskin.Keepmovingwheninextremecold

tokeepcirculationgoing.

Treatingfrostbite: Avoidwalkingonfrostbittenfeetandtoes,itwillincreasethedamagetotheskin Donotrubormassagefrostbittenareasasthistoowillincreasethedamage Getinsideawarmareatoeliminatefurtherdamage


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Immersefrostbittenareainwarmwaterthatiscomfortabletothetouchofunaffectedareas.Neverimmerseinhotwater.

Usebodyheattoslowlythawoutfrostbittenareas(putfrostbittenfingersinarmpitsorbetween

legs)

Bewareofdirectheattofrostbittenareasoftheskin.Becausetheskinisnumb,itcanveryeasilybeburned,increasingdamage.

Extremecasesoffrostbitecanrequireamputation.Seekprofessionalmedicalhelpassoonaspossible.

MentalattitudeOneofthemostimportantbutleasttalkedaboutaspectsofwintersafetyhastodowiththemental

aspect.This

is

probably

one

of

the

main

reasons

to

prepare

for

such

an

emergency.

Your

confidence

and

knowledgeofthefactthatyouarereadytofaceawinterstormiscrucialtothementalattitudeandthe

atmosphereduringtheemergency.

Childrenareespeciallysensitivetothemoodintheroom,tothewayadultsaroundthemhandle

emergencies.Thebestgiftthatyoucangiveyourchildreninsuchanemergencyisasensethat

everythingisgoingtobefinebecausemomanddadarecalmandprepared.

Knowingwhattodo,havingaplan,havingtheappropriateemergencykits,etcareallkeytoagood

mentalattitude.

Otherthings

that

you

can

to

do

keep

aproper

mental

attitude:

Maketheemergencyfunbycampinginthelivingroom Playgamestogether(rediscoverboardgamesandcardgames) Doapuzzletogether Hostaskitnight MakeSmoresinthefireplace Ifyoucan,getoutandhavefuninthesnow(gosledding,makeasnowmanorasnowfort,

etc)

Ultimately,anemergencylikeawinterpoweroutageorbeingsnowedincanbecomesomething

positiveifyouarepreparedandhavetherightframeofmind.Yearsfromnowthekidsarentgoingto

rememberthewinterof___whennothinghappenedbutIguaranteethattheyllrememberthewinter

youallgotsnowedintogetherandthepowerwasoutforthreedaysandyouendedupactually

spendingtimetogetherhavingfunwithouttheXbox360orthelargescreenTV.Whoknows,nextwinter

theymaygooutandturnoffthepowertotrytomakeyouthinktheresanotherpoweroutagejustto

trytorecreatethefun!


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NationalSafety,Inc.

Formoreinformation TheWinterweathersectionoftheCenterforDiseaseControlandPrevention

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/

TheAmericanRedCrosshttp://www.redcross.org

ReadyAmericahttp://www.ready.gov/america/local/index.html

Documents

Cold Weather and Winter Safety