South Georgia is under a Winter Storm watch and being prepared is critical for citizens of Worth County. Wednesday morning is expected to be 29 degrees with wind chills in the teens. A high tomorrow of 34 degrees will allow for only a few hours of temperatures above freezing, which causes concern for hazardous travel conditions. Officials ask to be especially cautious around bridges and elevated surfaces. Temperatures Thursday morning are expected at 20 degrees with wind chills again in the teens. Officials ask you to remember that icing could cause significant power outages and downed tree limbs. They STRONGLY encourage you to stay off the roads Wednesday and Thursday and to use caution even at home. Be careful of icy steps – use kitty litter or sand to help prevent falls.
Worth County schools have been cancelled for Wednesday and Thursday. As for Miss Georgee’s, if there is running water and electricity, they will be open. Miss Georgee’s will have room for additional children in the event schools close and you need child care, but that will be based on availability. Backyard Buddies follows school protocol.
One important thing to have prepared is food. Have enough of the essentials so you don’t have to travel on the roadway during inclement weather. In winter storms, power lines are often damaged by ice and can cause power outages for longer than usual so have food ready that can be eaten without having to cook it or warm it up. Be sure you have a manual can opener or open the cans prior to needing them and store in a plastic container. Also turn your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest settings if you think an outage could occur. This will help keep the food cold longer.
Plan on staying warm. If there is a power outage be sure you have plenty of blankets and warm clothes. Mittens are better than gloves and wear a hat because most body heat is lost through the top of the head. For those with functional fireplaces or working woodstoves, the impending cold weather doesn’t seem too bad. For those who rely on electric heat or a system that needs electricity to burn fuel, the thought of utility outages and winter storms can be scary. Here are some important things to consider when heating your home without power. Don’t try to heat the whole house! Pick one room, preferably a smaller room with a low ceiling, to be your main living area during the emergency. Don’t expect or even try to make every room warm and comfortable again. It’s a waste of time and a waste of resources. Don’t use combustion without ventilation. You can cause carbon monoxide poisoning if you use a propane heater, a BBQ grill or a gas stove for a heat source. Even a kerosene heater needs to have some fresh air. Candles are also a problematic heat source. If you use enough candles to create warmth in a room, you have a serious fire hazard. Make sure you have a working smoke alarm with a carbon monoxide detector if possible. Insulation is the key to keeping warmth in and keeping out cold. Insulate the room you are staying in by hanging blankets over windows. Insulate yourself by wearing layers of clothes, wrapping up in blankets or staying inside a sleeping bag if it is really cold. Also, you can take advantage of passive solar heat during daylight hours if your room has south-facing windows. Lay out dark colored blankets and rugs on the floor and furniture to absorb the heat from the sunlight. The more light pouring through the windows and the more dark-color absorption materials you have then the more heat you will have. While you can’t heat a room with hand warmer packs, you can certainly heat up yourself by keeping a few of these in your pockets.
Freezing pipes are always a concern to many. To keep pipes from freezing, wrap them in insulation or layers of newspapers, covering the newspapers with plastic to keep out moisture. Always let faucets drip a little to avoid freezing and be sure you know how to shut off water valves. If your water supply could be affected (a well-water pump system), fill your bathtub and spare containers with water. Water in the bathtub should be used for sanitation purposes only, not as drinking water. All you have to do is pour a pail of water from the tub directly into the bowl and then you can flush the toilet.
Another important thing to have is flashlights. Be sure to have new batteries in them and replacement batteries. When there are power outages, no one knows how long it will take to recover power. Battery powered portable radios are a great thing to have. Ensure they are working and that you have extra batteries for them as well. A radio is an important source of weather and emergency information during a storm. Plan ahead with all devices that have to be charged such as cell phones, gaming systems, etc and make sure they have a full battery just in case of a power outage.
Make sure you have all your medication needed for several days. If you have medication that requires refrigeration, check with your pharmacist for guidance on proper storage during an extended possible outage.
And don’t forget your furry friends. Don’t leave pets outdoors in freezing temperatures. While dogs need outdoor exercise, take note not to keep them out for lengthy periods during very cold weather. Short-coated dogs may feel more comfortable wearing a sweater during walks. Dogs and cats are safer indoors during this type of weather but if your pet can’t come inside then please have shelter for them. Wind chill can threaten an animal’s life, no matter what the temperature. Outdoor dogs must be protected by a dry, draft-free doghouse large enough to allow the dog to sit and lie down comfortably, but small enough to hold in body heat. Companion animals spending a lot of time outdoors need more food. Keeping warm depletes energy. Routinely check your animal’s water dish to make certain the water is fresh and not frozen. Use plastic food and water bowls rather than metal because your pet’s tongue can stick and freeze to metal in cold temperatures.
After the storm is over, be extra cautious if you go outside to inspect for damage. Downed or hanging electrical wires can be hidden by snowdrifts, trees or debris, and could be live. Never attempt to touch or moved downed lines. Keep children and pets away from them. Check on and help your neighbors but continue to stay off streets.
Do not touch anything power lines are touching, such as tree branches or fences and always assume a downed line is a live line. Call your utility company to report any outage-related problems.
