Health and safety should always be top priorities in winter weather

While the winter in Connecticut has been relatively calm so far, the state is always one snow storm away from dangerous roads and health risks. Many winter storms are accompanied by dangerously low temperatures and sometimes by strong winds, icing, sleet and freezing rain. As we have all learned in the past year, storms can also knock out heat, power and communications services, sometimes for days at a time.

The National Weather Service refers to winter storms as the “Deceptive Killers” because most deaths are indirectly related to a storm. People may die in traffic accidents on icy roads and of hypothermia from prolonged exposure to the cold.

On its website, www.ready.gov, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, lists tips on how you can prepare yourself and your home for winter weather before it strikes:

• Before winter approaches, add the following supplies to your emergency kit:
-Rock salt or more environmentally safe products to melt ice on walkways.
-Sand, to improve traction.
-Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment.
-Sufficient heating fuel. You may become isolated in your home and regular fuel sources may be cut off. Store a good supply of dry, seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove.
-Adequate clothing and blankets to keep you warm.
• Make a family communications plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency.
• Listen to a NOAA Weather Radio or other local news channels for critical information from the National Weather Service (NWS). Be alert to changing weather conditions.
• Minimize travel. If travel is necessary, keep a disaster supplies kit in your vehicle.
• Bring pets/companion animals inside during winter weather. Move other animals or livestock to sheltered areas with non-frozen drinking water.

During a storm, FEMA advises the following:
• Stay indoors during the storm.
• Walk carefully on snowy, icy walkways.
• Avoid overexertion when shoveling snow. Overexertion can bring on a heart attack – a major cause of death in the winter. If you must shovel snow, stretch before going outside.
• Keep dry. Change wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat. Wet clothing loses all of its insulating value and transmits heat rapidly.
• Watch for signs of frostbite. These include loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes and the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately.
• Watch for signs of hypothermia. These include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. If symptoms of hypothermia are detected, get the victim to a warm location, remove wet clothing, warm the center of the body first and give warm, non-alcoholic beverages if the victim is conscious. Get medical help as soon as possible.
• Drive only if it is absolutely necessary. If you must drive: travel in the day; don’t travel alone; keep others informed of your schedule; stay on main roads and avoid back road shortcuts.
• If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.