Create Your Winter Storm Plan with American Red Cross Tips

Prepare a Winter Storm Plan

• Have extra blankets on hand.
• Ensure that each member of your household has a warm coat, gloves or mittens, hat, and water-resistant boots.
• Plan to use flashlights if your power goes out. Do not use candles.

• First aid kit and essential medications.
• Battery-powered NOAA Weather radio, flashlight, and extra batteries.
• Ready to eat food.
• Bottled water (at least one gallon of water per person per day to last at least 3 days).

If travel is necessary during potentially dangerous winter weather, it's best to inform someone of the travel route, destination and expected arrival time. Travelers should also remember to keep their gas tanks near full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines. If you get stuck in slick conditions, the following actions should be taken:

• Stay with your car. Do not try to walk to safety.
• Tie a brightly colored cloth (preferably red) to the antenna for rescuers to see.
• Start the car and use the heater for about 10 minutes every hour. Keep the exhaust pipe clear so fumes won't back up in the car.
• Leave the overhead light on when the engine is running so that you can be seen.
• As you sit, keep moving your arms and legs to keep blood circulating and to stay warm.
• Keep one window away from the blowing wind slightly open to let in air.

When you prepare to go outside in severe cold weather, please remember the following:

• Most of your body heat is lost through your head so wear a hat, preferably one that covers your ears.
• Dressing in warm layers helps you retain heat. You can remove layers as you need to, if you become too warm.
• Mittens provide more warmth to your hands than gloves.
• Recognize frostbite warning signs: gray, white or yellow skin discoloration, numbness, waxy-feeling skin. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.
• Hypothermia is a serious condition. Warning signs for detecting severely low body temperature are memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, exhaustion, and uncontrollable shivering. People generally suffer from hypothermia after being over-exposed to extremely cold weather, dangerous wind chills, ice and snowstorms, freezing rain or sleet. Symptoms of hypothermia that can indicate a serious medical condition: confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.
• Wear waterproof, insulated boots to help avoid hypothermia or frostbite by keeping your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing in ice and snow.
• Get out of wet clothes immediately and warm your core body temperature with a blanket or warm fluids like hot cider or soup. Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol if you expect you or someone you are trying to help has hypothermia or frostbite.

The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley serves more than 660,000 residents of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties. Last year the Red Cross provided health and safety education training; Lifeline, a personal response service for seniors; and emergency relief to more than 20,000 Greater Lehigh Valley residents. For more information about the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley or volunteer opportunities, call (610) 865-4400 or visit www.redcrosslv.org.