Emergency Preparedness Program

Winter Weather

Each year, exposure to cold, vehicle accidents caused by wintry roads, and fires caused by the improper use of heaters injure and kill hundreds of people in the United States.

 

 

Prepare for Severe Winter Weather

• Keep cold-weather clothing, supplies and equipment ready.
• Service snow removal equipment before the winter storm season and maintain it in good working order.
• Keep a supply of non-clumping kitty litter to make walkways and steps less slippery.
• Make sure your home is properly insulated.
• Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside.
• Protect pipes from freezing.
• Know how to shut off the main water valve and shut off and drain outside faucets.
• Inspect heating equipment and have it serviced as needed.
• Have chimneys and wood stoves inspected annually and cleaned if necessary.
• Install and maintain smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
• Make sure your fire extinguisher is in good working order, and replace it if necessary.
• When using fireplaces, stoves and space heaters, ventilate properly and guard against fire.
• Store firewood or heating fuel.
• Install snow fences in rural areas.
• Bring pets indoors.
• Shelter horses and livestock.
• Know the location of public shelters.
• Winterize your vehicle before the winter storm season.
• Keep you vehicle's gas tank full so you can leave right away in an emergency and to keep the fuel line from freezing.
• Keep your household and vehicle emergency supply kit current and handy. Click here
• Keep a battery-powered radio, NOAA weather radio, or TV and spare batteries handy.
• Get training. Take a first aid course to learn how to treat exposure to the cold, frostbite and hypothermia.  Click here
• Prepare members of your household for severe winter weather.

 

During a Winter Storm Watch

• Stay informed.  Listen to local radio or television stations for updates.
• Watch for changing weather conditions.
• Avoid unnecessary travel.
• Shelter animals with a supply of non-frozen water.

 

During a Winter Storm Warning

• Stay indoors and dress warmly in layers.
• Stay informed.  Listen to local radio or television stations for updates.
• Bring pets inside before the storm begins.
• Eat and drink regularly to prevent dehydration. 
• Conserve fuel.
• Walk carefully on snowing, icy sidewalks.
• Avoid driving in a winter storm.
• If stranded, stay with the vehicle and stay warm.

 

Dangers of Severe Cold in Winter Weather

• Avoid overexertion.  Heart attaches from shoveling heavy snow are a leading cause of death during the winter.
• Frostbite is the freeing of body tissues, and it most frequently affects fingers, toes, earlobes and the tip of the nose. Frostbite damage ranges from superficial and reversible to deep and permanent. Frostbite can result in tissue loss and even loss of digits and limbs.
• Hypothermia begins to occur when a person's body temperature drops to 3° below its normal temperature (96° F on average). Cold temperatures can cause hypothermia in anyone who is not adequately clothed or sheltered in a place with adequate heat. Hypothermia can kill people, and those who survive are likely to suffer lasting ill effects. Infants and elderly people are most susceptible. People who are taking certain medications, who have certain medical conditions, or who have been drinking alcohol are also at increased risk for hypothermia.

 

Learn More

• Winter Storms and Extreme Cold (Ready America)
• Winter Storms and Extreme Cold (FEMA)
• Winter Storm (American Red Cross)
• Winter Weather (CDC)
• Winter Storms –The Deceptive Killers (NOAA/NWS)
  

 

Information is not intended to be a substitute for appropriate medical advice.  Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by Macomb County

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