Winter Weather Preparedness Tips

Severe winter weather conditions, such as extreme cold, ice storms and high winds, can produce widespread power outages. With this in mind, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management encourages families to take the following steps to ensure safety and take the sting out of wintry weather.

• Know what winter storm and blizzard watches and warnings mean.
• A National Weather Service Winter Storm watch is a message indicating that conditions are favorable to a winter storm.
• An NWS warning indicates that a winter storm is occurring or is imminent.
• A blizzard warning means sustained winds or frequent gusts to 35 mph or greater and considerable falling or blowing snow are expected to prevail for a period of three hours or longer.
• Depend on your NOAA Weather Radio, along with local radio and television stations for weather reports.

• Develop a Family Disaster Plan for winter storms. Discuss with your family what to do if a winter storm watch or warning is issued. Everyone should know what to do in case all family members are not together when a winter storm hits. 
• Understand the hazards of wind chill. A strong wind combined with a temperature of just below freezing can have the same effect as a still air temperature of 35 degrees or colder.
• Check on family, friends and neighbors, especially the elderly. Make sure they are prepared.
• Don’t forget about the pets. Make sure they have good food and water supplies and a place to seek shelter.
• Have your car winterized before winter storm season. During winter storm season keep your car's gas tank full for emergency use and to keep the fuel line from freezing.

• Make sure your home is properly insulated. If necessary insulate walls and attic. Caulk and weather-strip doors and windowsills.
• Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside.
• To keep pipes from freezing, wrap them in insulation or layers of old newspapers. Cover the newspapers with plastic to keep out moisture.
• Let faucets drip a little to avoid freezing.
• Know how to shut off water valves. 
• Consider storing extra heating fuel. 
• Install and check smoke alarms. 
• Keep safe emergency-heating equipment, such as a fireplace with wood. Always be cautious in using a portable space heater.

• The best way to stay safe in a snowstorm is not to be out in it. Long periods of exposure to severe cold can result in frostbite or hypothermia. It is easy to become disoriented in blowing snow.
• Stretch before you do so. If you go out to shovel snow, do a few stretching exercises to warm up your body. This will reduce your chances of muscle injury.
• Avoid overexertion, such as shovelling heavy snow, pushing a car or walking in deep snow.
• Walk carefully on snowy, icy sidewalks. Slips and falls occur frequently in winter weather, resulting in painful and sometimes disabling injury.
• Dress in many layers and wear a hat and mittens.
• Come inside often for warm-up breaks.
• If you start to shiver or get very tired, or if your nose, fingers, toes, or ear lobes start to feel numb or turn very pale, come inside right away and seek medical assistance. These are the signs of hypothermia and frostbite and need immediate attention.
• Let someone know your destination, your route and when you expect to arrive.
• If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle and hang a brightly colored cloth (preferably red) on the radio antenna and raise the hood (after snow stops falling)

• A cell phone with extra battery or two-way radio
• Windshield scraper and small broom for ice and snow removal
• Several blankets or sleeping bags
• Rain gear and extra sets of dry clothing, mittens, socks and a cap
• Non-perishable snacks like canned fruit, nuts and other high energy “munchies.” Include non-electric can opener if necessary.
• Several bottles of water. Eating snow will lower your body temperature. If necessary, melt it first.
• A small sack of sand or kitty litter for generating traction under wheels, a set of tire chains or traction mats.
• Jumper cables
• A first aid kit
• A flashlight with extra batteries
• A brightly colored cloth to tie to the antenna if you get stranded.