Stay Warm Safely

With the extreme weather conditions across central Indiana, the American Red Cross of Tippecanoe Co. recommends these tips to stay warm safely at home, on the road and outdoors.

Stay warm safely at home

Have extra blankets on hand.
Use only portable heating equipment approved for indoor use.
Do not use your stove or oven to heat rooms.
Keep combustible materials, including clothing, furniture, drapes, carpeting at least three feet away from the heat source. Never drape clothes over a space heater to dry.
Always keep an eye on heating equipment. Never leave children alone in the room with a running space heater. Turn it off if you are unable to safely monitor it.
Do not overload electrical circuits.
Do not use your fireplace or wood stove for emergency heating unless you have had your chimney or flue inspected within the past year and installed a smoke alarm and a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near the area to be heated.

Stay warm safely on the road

Avoid traveling by vehicle in extremely cold weather, but if you must venture out:

Make sure you have a full tank of gas.
Let someone know your destination, your route and when you expect to arrive. If you get stranded along the way, help can be sent along your predetermined route.
Make sure you have your mobile phone with you.
Double-check that your vehicle's disaster supplies kit has been "winterized" with the following items:
Blankets, rain gear and extra sets of dry clothing, mittens, socks and wool hats.
Non-clumping kitty litter, sand or gravel to generate traction if your vehicle gets stuck in ice or snow.
Extra newspapers for insulation and plastic bags for sanitation.
A small shovel, pocket knife and small tools.
A candle in a metal can or other fireproof container. While candles are generally not recommended in disaster situations, having one in your vehicle can be a source of heat and light if you are stranded. Don't forget the matches.
Cards, games and puzzles.
A brightly colored cloth (preferably red) to tie to the antenna or side mirror.

Stay warm safely outdoors

Prolonged exposure to cold can cause injury or serious illness such as hypothermia or frostbite. The likelihood of illness or injury depends on factors such as physical activity, clothing, wind, humidity, working and living conditions, and a person's age and state of health.

Stay indoors if you can. If you have to venture out, monitor the weather so that you can avoid being outside during the coldest part of the day.
If you have to go out, dress appropriately.
Dress in layers. Several layers of lightweight clothing will keep you warmer than a single heavy coat. Layering also enables you to adjust to different activities and changing conditions.
Most of your body heat is lost through your head, so wear a hat, preferably one that covers your ears.
Mittens provide more warmth to your hands than gloves.
Wear waterproof, insulated boots to keep your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing on ice and snow.
Avoid being outdoors for extended periods of time.
Avoid overexertion. Take frequent breaks and stay hydrated.
Get out of wet clothes immediately and warm the core body temperature with a blanket or warm fluids like hot cider or soup.

Hypothermia and Frostbite

Hypothermia: When exposed to cold temperatures, your body begins to lose heat faster than it can be produced. Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up your body's stored energy. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature

Signs: Adults - shivering, dizziness, confusion, memory loss, drowsiness, exhaustion, fumbling hands, slurred speech; Infants - bright red skin, very low energy
Treatment: If any of the above signs are present, take the person's temperature. If it is below 95°, seek medical attention immediately. If medical care is not available, begin warming the person as follows:
Get the person into a warm room or shelter
If the individual has on any wet clothing, remove it.
Warm the center of the body first - chest, neck, head, groin - using an electric blanket, if available. Or use skin-to-skin contact under loose dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels or sheets.
Warm beverages can help increase the body temperature, but do not give caffeinated or alcoholic beverages. Do not try to give beverages to an unconscious person.
Once the body temperature has increased, keep the person dry and wrapped in a warm blanket, including the head and neck.
Get medical attention as soon as possible

Frostbite is an injury to the body that is caused by freezing. It most often affects the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers or toes. Frostbite can permanently damage the body.

Signs: A white or grayish-yellow skin area, skin that feels unusually firm or waxy and numbness.
Treatment: If you detect symptoms of frostbite, seek medical care. If medical care is not available, proceed as follows:
Get into a warm room as soon as possible.
Unless absolutely necessary, do not walk on frostbitten feet or toes. It increases the damage.
Immerse the affected area in warm - not hot - water (the temperature should be comfortable to the touch for the unaffected parts of the body).
Or warm the affected area using body heat.
Do not rub the frostbitten area with snow or massage it at all. This can cause more damage.
Don't use a heating pad, heat lamp or the heat of a stove, fireplace or radiator for warming. Affected areas are numb and can be easily burned.