AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

Winter Preparedness: Home and Personal Protection

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Preparedness during the winter months

Taking precautions to ensure safety during the winter months includes being prepared personally along with winterizing the home.

The first step in ensuring preparedness is to prepare and maintain an [link url=”https://www.ready.gov/kit” title=”emergency kit”]. The kit can be updated or adjusted depending on the season or threat hazard that is currently relevant, including winter weather.

Make sure that a [link url=”https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan” title=”family communication plan”] is also part of the emergency kit. To ensure personal and family safety during the winter, adding a few items will help reduce risk and provide provisions until help arrives or conditions improve, such as power being restored.

Being prepared

[link url=”https://www.ready.gov/winter-weather” title=”Ready.gov”] recommends following a few important guidelines for safety during winter storms:

Weather terms for preparedness

Be sure to know the difference between weather terms that indicate present or future weather conditions:

  • Winter Weather Advisory: This term indicates that weather conditions are likely to cause inconveniences and might possibly be hazardous. The situations should not be life-threatening if caution is used.
  • Winter Storm Watch: Conditions exist for a winter storm in the area, including heavy snow and/or ice, but its exact location and timing are still unknown. Officials issue watches about 12-36 hours before a potential winter storm. Use a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio and tune in to local television or radio stations to stay informed regarding changes in weather conditions that might impact individual and family locations. Gather items needed, including the emergency kit, such as a loss of power.
  •  Winter Storm Warning: A winter storm is, or will be soon occurring in the local area. Monitor NOAA weather radios and local television and radio stations for updated and current information regarding the storm.
  • Blizzard Warning: This is a winter storm accompanied by sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more, large snowfall amounts, and/or blowing/driving snow that severely reduces visibility (to less than one-quarter mile). Travel will be treacherous, if not impossible. With this warning, conditions are expected to last for at least three hours or more.
  • Wind Chill: The wind chill is what the temperature outside actually “feels like” and is a critical factor for determining when frostbite will occur. The National Weather Service (NWS) produced a [link url=”http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/winter/windchill.shtml” title=”windchill chart”] that shows the difference between the perceived temperature and the actual air temperature, helping individuals better identify when frostbite will occur.
  • Frost/Freeze Warning, Sleet, Freezing Rain: These are all terms used by the NWS to identify weather conditions that have the potential to impact local areas.

Personal protection

  • Stay indoors whenever possible or conditions become too dangerous and frostbite or hypothermia may occur.
  • Use caution when walking–sidewalks and walkways may become slippery or icy.
  • Use sand and ice melt to improve traction.
  • Dress in several layers of light clothing to prevent heat loss.
  • Use caution when shoveling snow. Overexertion can cause heart attacks, a leading cause of death during the winter.
  • Wear a hat, as most body heat escapes through the head.
  • Keep clothes dry or change wet clothing frequently as it transmits heat rapidly.
  • Cover exposed skin to prevent frostbite.
    • Frostbite signs: white or pale appearance and loss of feeling in extremities: fingers, toes, earlobes, nose tip, or face.
      • Warm the area by covering it, but do not rub it. Seek medical care immediately.
  • Beware of hypothermia when exposed to cold temperatures for long periods of time or when exposure to extremely cold temperatures occurs.
    • Hypothermia signs/symptoms: Uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, drowsiness, slurred speech, exhaustion, and a dangerously low body temperature.
      • Seek medical attention immediately if hypothermia is suspected.

Preparing the family home

Preparing the home properly is an important step for individual and family safety during extreme cold and winter weather. A few simple guidelines will help keep heat inside the house, reduce heating fuel consumption, and help minimize the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning or fire. These include:

  • Clean gutters and remove trees/branches close to the home or other shelters to prevent storm damage.
  • Repair roof leaks before winter.
  • Insulate walls and attics to appropriate depths.
  • Caulk windows and doors and use weather stripping as needed to keep heat in and cold out.
  • Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic.
  • Clean and maintain heating equipment.
  • Have chimneys inspected and cleaned regularly to prevent fires.
  • Insulate water pipes to prevent freezing.
  • Vent all fuel-burning equipment to the outdoors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Keep fire extinguishers on hand and know how to use them.
  • Learn how to shut off water valves and insulate well pumps as needed.

Danger: Carbon monoxide poisoning/fire risk

Power outages increase the risk of fires and carbon monoxide poisoning due to the improper use of alternate heating and cooking methods. These products should never be used inside the home for cooking or heating: generators, grills, camp stoves, and other gasoline, propane, natural gas, or charcoal-burning devices.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is highest during winter months, much of it being attributed to the improper use of alternate heating and cooking devices used improperly, usually inside the home. Approximately 430 people die across the nation each year from this poisoning, while another 20,000 hospital emergency room visits occur with more than 4,000 people hospitalized each year.

To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, avoid using the devices listed above inside the home and install a carbon monoxide detector. Many smoke alarms now also feature carbon monoxide warnings, or they can be purchased separately. They should be installed on every level of the house outside of sleeping areas to provide the earliest possible warnings.

If carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected, immediately move to a fresh air location and call for help.

For more information, visit the [link url=”https://www.ready.gov/winter-weather” title=”Ready.gov”] website.

[relink url=”https://amuedge.com/winter-weather-vehicle-travel-preparedness/”]

Kimberly Arsenault serves as an intern at the Cleveland/Bradley County Emergency Management Agency where she works on plan revisions and special projects. Previously, Kimberly spent 15 years in commercial and business aviation. Her positions included station manager at the former Midwest Express Airlines, as well as corporate flight attendant, inflight manager, and charter flight coordinator. Kimberly currently holds a master's degree in emergency and disaster management from American Public University.

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