Health & Fitness

Get Ready for Winter Advisories & Ice Storms


A winter storm in January 2000 affected almost every North Georgia county as thousands of fans were arriving in Atlanta for Super Bowl Sunday.

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While the danger from winter weather varies across the state, most Georgians are likely to face some type of severe winter weather at some point in their lives. That could mean snow or subfreezing temperatures, as well as strong winds or even ice or heavy rain storms. Winter storms, which often affect North Georgia, result in extreme cold, downed power lines and blocked roads and highways.

Prepare for the unexpected with tips below or from this American Sign Language video. Get Ready Georgia!

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Prepare for Winter Weather
  • Make sure your home is well insulated and that you have weather stripping around your doors and window sills to keep the warm air inside.
  • Familiarize yourself with the terms that are used to identify winter weather.
  • Include adequate clothing and blankets in your Ready kit to keep you warm.
  • Allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing.
  • Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to uninsulated pipes under sinks and appliances near exterior walls.
  • Fully winterize your vehicle and keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines.
  • Keep an extra Ready kit in the trunk of your car. In addition to the basic essentials, consider adding an ice scraper, extra blanket, sand for traction and jumper cables.
Make a Plan
  • Plan to stay inside and make it on your own, at least for a period of time.
  • If you have a wood burning fireplace, consider storing wood to keep you warm if winter weather knocks out your heat. Also, make sure you have your chimney cleaned and inspected every year.

Winter storms are often accompanied by power outages. Always exercise caution when using alternative light and heating sources:

  • Use flashlights during power outages instead of candles to prevent the risk of fire, and have plenty of extra batteries on-hand.
  • Never bring portable generators, camp stoves and grills into your home; they should only be used outside. Keep them at least 20 feet away from your home's windows, doors and vents to prevent deadly carbon monoxide poisoning.

People who depend on electricity to operate medical equipment should have alternate arrangements in place in case power is out for an extended period of time.

Learn how to keep food safe in an emergency.

Stay Informed
  • Listen to NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed of winter weather watches and warnings.
  • Also monitor commercial radio, television and the Internet.
  • Keep in mind that during a severe winter storm it could be hours, or even days, before emergency personnel are able to reach you.

Watch for frostbite. Warning signs include white or grayish-yellow skin, numbness and skin that feels unusually firm or waxy. If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately. If medical help is not available, get the victim to a warm location and immerse the affected area in warm water. Frostbitten areas are numb and can be easily burned so avoid using heating pads, fireplaces or radiators for warming. Do not rub the frostbitten area; this could cause more damage.

Watch for signs of hypothermia, including shivering, memory loss, fumbling hands, slurred speech and drowsiness. If the victim's body temperature is below 95 degrees, seek medical help immediately. If medical help is not available, get the victim to a warm location, remove wet clothing, warm the center of the body first using an electric blanket and if conscious, give the victim warm, non-alcoholic beverages.

Follow directions from local officials about driving during snow and ice storms, and drive with caution.

Ready Georgia is a statewide campaign supported by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) aimed at motivating Georgians to take action to prepare for a disaster. GEMA is the state agency that is responsible for emergency mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery and special events.



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