Understanding Winter Weather Risks
Winter storms are considered deceptive killers because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm. People can die in traffic accidents on icy roads, heart attacks while shoveling snow, or of hypothermia from prolonged exposure to cold. Wind Chill is not the actual temperature but rather how wind and cold feel on exposed skin. As the wind increases, heat is carried away from the body at an accelerated rate, driving down body temperature. Animals are also affected by wind chill; however, cars, plants and other objects are not.
Frostbite – Frostbite is damage to body tissue caused by extreme cold. A wind chill of -20 degrees F will cause frostbite in just 30 minutes. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance in extremities, such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, or the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately. If you must wait for help, slowly re-warm affected areas. However, if the person is also showing signs of hypothermia, warm the body core before the extremities.
Hypothermia (low body temperature) – Warning signs of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion. Take the person's temperature, and if it is below 95 degrees F, immediately seek medical care. If medical care is not available, begin warming the person slowly. Warm the body core first, and use your own body heat to help, if necessary. Get the person into dry clothing and wrap them in a warm blanket covering the head and neck. Do not give the person alcohol, drugs, coffee, or any hot beverage or food; warm broth is better. Do not warm extremities (arms and legs) first! This drives the cold blood toward the heart and can lead to heart failure.