MONROE - Green County Emergency Management announces that Gov. Jim Doyle has declared Nov. 10-14 as Wisconsin's Winter Awareness Week.
Winter storms are considered deceptive killers because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm, such as traffic accidents on icy roads or people dying from prolonged exposure to the cold or over-exertion, such as shoveling snow and suffering a heart attack. Last year, many people were caught unprepared on the Wisconsin Interstate system and were stranded for many hours. Many people did not have any food, water or other emergency supplies with them and emergency responders, at great risk to themselves, took out snowmobiles to attend to them.
In Wisconsin, there is an average of 17,000 vehicle accidents, about 75 people are killed and 7,000 people are injured each year during the winter. Many of these crashes are caused by motorists driving too fast for conditions. Find out the latest road conditions at http:www.dot.wisconsin.gov or (800) ROADWIS (762-3947).
Have your vehicle winterized and carry a winter survival kit with you that includes: sleeping bags or blankets, flashlight with extra batteries, first aid kit, shovel, tools, booster cables and windshield scraper, high calorie non-perishable food and sand or cat litter to use for traction if you get stuck in the snow.
Have extra supplies at home to keep your family comfortable in case the power would go out. Make sure you have flashlights and extra, fresh batteries, a battery-powered NOAA weather radio, non-perishable food that requires no cooking and bottled water, first aid supplies, if appropriate extra medication and items for baby's or persons with special needs. Make sure your fire extinguishers are charged and your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors have fresh batteries and are operating correctly.
Also, too many people rely on pushing a button on their cell phones to call family and friends and find it difficult, if not impossible, to remember the phone numbers when their phones go dead so have these numbers written down.
Also make sure pets have plenty of food, water and shelter. They should be brought inside when the temperature reaches 30 degrees with wind chill. Dog and cats can get frost bitten ears, nose and feet if they are left outside during bitter cold weather. Keep anti-freeze, salt and other poisons away from pets. Chemicals used to melt snow and ice can irritate pet's paws as well.
For more information about winter safety tips and developing a preparedness plan, call Green County Emergency Management at 328-9416. More information can also be found at these Web sites: www.weather.gov and http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov.
Winter storms are considered deceptive killers because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm, such as traffic accidents on icy roads or people dying from prolonged exposure to the cold or over-exertion, such as shoveling snow and suffering a heart attack. Last year, many people were caught unprepared on the Wisconsin Interstate system and were stranded for many hours. Many people did not have any food, water or other emergency supplies with them and emergency responders, at great risk to themselves, took out snowmobiles to attend to them.
In Wisconsin, there is an average of 17,000 vehicle accidents, about 75 people are killed and 7,000 people are injured each year during the winter. Many of these crashes are caused by motorists driving too fast for conditions. Find out the latest road conditions at http:www.dot.wisconsin.gov or (800) ROADWIS (762-3947).
Have your vehicle winterized and carry a winter survival kit with you that includes: sleeping bags or blankets, flashlight with extra batteries, first aid kit, shovel, tools, booster cables and windshield scraper, high calorie non-perishable food and sand or cat litter to use for traction if you get stuck in the snow.
Have extra supplies at home to keep your family comfortable in case the power would go out. Make sure you have flashlights and extra, fresh batteries, a battery-powered NOAA weather radio, non-perishable food that requires no cooking and bottled water, first aid supplies, if appropriate extra medication and items for baby's or persons with special needs. Make sure your fire extinguishers are charged and your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors have fresh batteries and are operating correctly.
Also, too many people rely on pushing a button on their cell phones to call family and friends and find it difficult, if not impossible, to remember the phone numbers when their phones go dead so have these numbers written down.
Also make sure pets have plenty of food, water and shelter. They should be brought inside when the temperature reaches 30 degrees with wind chill. Dog and cats can get frost bitten ears, nose and feet if they are left outside during bitter cold weather. Keep anti-freeze, salt and other poisons away from pets. Chemicals used to melt snow and ice can irritate pet's paws as well.
For more information about winter safety tips and developing a preparedness plan, call Green County Emergency Management at 328-9416. More information can also be found at these Web sites: www.weather.gov and http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov.