Weather emergency notice

 Hello Everyone,

 

As we have all heard the local news has been reporting about the severe, cold winter weather forecasted for this week coming up. See the snapshot from NWS Wakefield on the wind chills forecasted. Goochland County of Fire-Rescue and Emergency Services urges everyone to be prepared before, during, and after winter emergencies. This email contains some key tips to help with severe winter weather emergency preparations. While looking out for yourself and your family, please look for your neighbors and those most vulnerable who might need help.

 

 

Key Tips To Be Prepared for Severe Winter Weather Emergencies

 

Heating Safety

Home heating is the second leading cause of home fires, and winter is when most home fires happen.

• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from all heat sources including fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, portable heaters, or candles.
• Always plug space heaters directly into an outlet, and make sure its cord isn’t damaged or frayed.
• Never use an oven to heat your home.
• Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected each year by a professional.
• Have a fire extinguisher.

For more information, visit https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prevent-fires/heating/.

 

Power Outages

Winter storms may bring power outages that can disrupt things like communications, utilities, transportation, stores, gas stations, and ATMs, and prevent your ability to use electrically powered medical devices. It’s important to be prepared for power outages.

• Check your batteries, annually, in your Carbon Monoxide detectors.
• Make sure you have the contact information for your power utility company and report any outages as soon as they happen.
• Turn off your stove as soon as the power goes out.
• Keep freezers and refrigerators closed. Throw away any food that has been exposed to temperatures 40 degrees or higher for two hours or more, or that has an unusual odor, color, or texture.
• If you use a generator, ONLY use it outdoors and away from windows.
• Do not use a gas stove or oven to heat your home.
• Disconnect appliances and electronics to avoid damage from electrical surges.
• Have alternate plans for refrigerating medicines or using power-dependent medical devices.
• Have extra cash on hand if the ATMs aren’t working.

 

Frozen Ponds and Lakes

Everyone, including your furry friends, should stay off of frozen ponds and lakes. Frozen water can be deceiving, while snow and ice may appear solid, the ice in our area rarely gets thick or strong enough to support the weight of a person.

• Call 9-1-1 immediately if you see someone fall through the ice. Stay off the ice yourself.
• Shout for them to stay calm. From the bank, extend something to them like a rope, pole, or branch to pull them to the side. Lie flat to avoid being to avoid being pulled onto the ice. Wait for emergency responders to arrive if you cannot reach them.
• If you fall through the ice, keep calm and call for help. Spread your arms across the ice surface to stay afloat. Kick your legs to try to slide onto the ice, then lie flat and crawl to safety. If the ice is too thin to climb out, try to break it in front of you as you move toward the shore.
• After someone has been rescued, keep the victim warm, but do not remove wet clothing or apply heat directly. Ensure emergency responders are on the way and monitor the person for signs of hypothermia or shock.

 

Hypothermia

CDC states that hypothermia often occurs at very cold temperatures but can occur at cool temperatures (above 40 degrees) if a person is wet (from rain, sweat, or cold water) and becomes chilled.

Signs and Symptoms include:

• Adults – shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech, drowsiness
• Infants – bright red, cold skin, very low energy

What to do if you suspect hypothermia –

• Call 9-1-1 (If a person’s temperature is below 95 degrees get medical attention immediately.)
• Get them into a warm room or shelter.
• Once indoors, remove any wet clothing.
• Warm them under dry layers of blankets and clothing.

For more information, https://www.cdc.gov/winter-weather/prevention/ 

 

Animals

If we are cold, our pets and animals are cold, too.

• Bring pets/animals inside and move livestock to sheltered areas with non-frozen drinking water.
• Provide plenty of food and water. Dehydration is especially dangerous in winter.
• When outside keep them bundled up. Limit outside time with your pets and thoroughly clean (including paws) when bringing them in.
• When the temperatures are below freezing for long periods, monitor Goochland’s social media pages (Goochland County, Goochland Fire-Rescue, or Animal Protection) for times to get your containers filled with water.

 

Water

Your regular source of water may not be available or compromised through contamination. Prepare yourself by building a supply of water that will meet your family’s needs during an emergency. FEMA recommends:

• Store at least one gallon of water per person per day for several days, for drinking sanitation. A normally active person needs about three-quarters of a gallon of fluid daily, from water and other beverages. However, individual needs vary depending on age, health, physical condition, activity, diet, and climate.

Take the following into account:

• Children, nursing mothers, and sick people may need more water.
• A medical emergency might require additional water.
• If it’s necessary to treat your water to have a reliable source of clean water. Boiling is the safest method of treating water. In a large pot or kettle, bring water to a rolling boil for one full minute, keeping in mind that some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking.
• Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers. This also will improve the taste of stored water.

For more information, visit https://www.ready.gov/water.

 

Stay Informed

Monitor and listen to emergency information and alerts before, during, and after emergencies. Stay informed through multiple communication channels. Here are multiple types of resources to help you stay informed.

• Include a handheld emergency radio with a weather band (NOAA) frequency in your emergency kit. Make sure your radio doesn’t depend only on AC power as the single source of power. Have a radio with a hand crank, solar panel, and/or batteries.
• Sign up for your community’s alert notification system. Here is the website link to register for Goochland’s CodeRED Emergency and Community Alert system: https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/1380BACA5A57

• Download Mobile Apps from Google Play or Apple App Store to your phone to help you prepare and stay informed. Here is a list of three helpful Mobile Apps: Goochland County, Goochland Sheriff’s Office and FEMA

 

For questions or more information on emergency preparedness, contact Goochland Fire-Rescue’s Emergency Management Coordinator, Chief Robin Hillman at rhillman@goochlandva.us, 804-556-5366 or visit https://goochlandfire-rescue.org.