ADVANCE PREPARATION IS THE BEST THING PEOPLE CAN DO TO AVOID
PROBLEMS DURING WINTER WEATHER.

...AT HOME AND WORK...
PRIMARY CONCERNS ARE THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF HEAT... POWER...TELEPHONE
SERVICE...AND A SHORTAGE OF SUPPLIES IF STORM CONDITIONS CONTINUE FOR
MORE THAN A DAY.

...HAVE AVAILABLE...

- FLASHLIGHT AND EXTRA BATTERIES

- BATTERY-POWERED NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR AM/FM PORTABLE RADIO

- EXTRA FOOD AND WATER

- EXTRA MEDICINE AND BABY ITEMS

- FIRST-AID SUPPLIES

- HEATING FUEL

- EMERGENCY HEATING SOURCE

- FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND SMOKE DETECTOR

- CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR

- DO NOT USE A STOVE OR A PORTABLE CHARCOAL GRILL TO HEAT YOUR
HOUSE OR OFFICE DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF CARBON MONOXIDE
POISONING.

...NOTE...
IF YOU USE A SPACE HEATER... MAKE SURE YOU VENT YOUR HOUSE TO
AVOID THE BUILDUP OF DEADLY CARBON MONOXIDE GASES.  EVEN A
FAULTY FURNACE CAN PRODUCE ODOR-LESS AND TASTELESS CARBON
MONOXIDE. ABOUT 300 PEOPLE DIE ACROSS THE U.S. EACH YEAR DUE TO
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. WISCONSIN AVERAGES ABOUT 10 DEATHS
PER YEAR.

...ON THE FARM...
- MOVE ANIMALS TO SHELTERED AREAS.

- HAUL EXTRA FEED TO NEARBY FEEDING AREAS.

- HAVE A WATER SUPPLY AVAILABLE...MOST ANIMAL DEATHS IN WINTER
STORMS ARE FROM DEHYDRATION.


...AT SCHOOLS...
- MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND HAVE A FUNCTIONAL PLAN READY
WITH REGARD TO CLOSURES DUE TO SNOW...ICE OR EXTREME COLD.

- ESTABLISH GUIDELINES REGARDING OUTSIDE RECESS DURING EXTREME
COLD AND WINDY PERIODS.


...WHEN OUTSIDE...
- DRESS TO FIT THE SEASON.  WEAR LOOSE-FITTING...LIGHT-WEIGHT...
WARM CLOTHING IN SEVERAL LAYERS.

- WEAR A HAT.

- COVER YOUR MOUTH TO PROTECT YOUR LUNGS FROM EXTREME COLD.

- WEAR MITTENS. THESE ARE BETTER INSULATORS THAN GLOVES.

- KEEP THE WINDOW OF A FISHING OR HUNTING SHACK SLIGHTLY OPEN
SO THAT CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING CAN BE AVOIDED WHEN USING A
SPACE HEATER.



...WHEN TRAVELING OR USING YOUR VEHICLE...
- IF YOUR VEHICLE BECOMES STRANDED IN THE SNOW WHILE YOU ARE
TRAVELING IN THE COUNTY.... STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.  DON/T
ATTEMPT TO WALK TO A FARMER/S HOME IN THE MIDDLE OF A SNOW
STORM AND STRONG WINDS.

- IT IS BETTER TO PERIODICALLY RUN THE VEHICLES ENGINE AND
HEATER..BUT MAKE SURE YOU OPEN YOUR WINDOW A CRACK...
AND MAKE SURE THE EXHAUST PIPE IS FREE OF SNOW TO AVOID
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING.

- ANOTHER GOOD IDEA IS TO TIE A RED OR ORANGE RAG TO THE
VEHICLE/S RADIO ANTENNA. THIS MAKES IT EASIER FOR OTHER
PEOPLE TO LOCATE YOUR VEHICLE.

- PLAN YOUR TRAVEL AND CHECK THE LATEST WEATHER REPORTS TO AVOID
THE STORM.

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...VEHICLE WINTER STORM SURVIVAL KIT...

- FULLY CHECK AND WINTERIZE YOUR VEHICLE BEFORE WINTER.

- BLANKETS OR SLEEPING BAGS

- A FLASHLIGHT WITH EXTRA BATTERIES

- A FIRST-AID KIT

- A KNIFE

- HIGH-CALORIE...NON-PERISHABLE FOOD

- A SMALL CAN AND WATER-PROOF MATCHES TO MELT SNOW FOR DRINKING

- A BAG OF SAND OR CAT LITTER

- A SHOVEL

- A WINDSHIELD SCRAPER AND BRUSH

- BOOSTER CABLES

- KEEP YOUR GAS TANK NEAR FULL TO AVOID ICE IN THE TANK AND FUEL
LINES. THE KEY TO SURVIVING A WINTER STORM IS PREPARATION AND
COMMON SENSE. KEEP AHEAD OF WINTER STORMS BY LISTENING TO
THE NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS.

- MAKE SURE A PERSON OR PET DOESN/T ACCIDENTALLY SWALLOW A VEHICLE
ANTI-FREEZE SOLUTION. THIS CAN LEAD TO ILLNESS OR EVEN DEATH.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WINTER WEATHER...VISIT...
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/WINTER     /ALL LOWER CASE/
HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/MKX/?N=WINTER-WX-AWARENESS