10 Ways to Stay Safe through the latest round of cold weather courtesy of the American Red Cross
- Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing body heat.
- Know the signs of hypothermia – which include confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. If anyone has these symptoms they should seek immediate medical attention.
- Watch for symptoms of frostbite including numbness, flushed gray, white, blue or yellow skin discoloration, numbness or waxy feeling skin.
- Bring the pets indoors. If that isn’t possible, make sure they have enough shelter to keep warm and they can get to unfrozen water.
- Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night, and run water, even at a trickle, to prevent pipes from freezing.
- Do not use a stove or oven to heat the home.
- Place space heaters on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away.
- With any fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
- Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.
- Learn how to treat cold weather related emergencies by downloading the free Red Cross First Aid App.