the American Red Cross Midway-Kansas Chapter is urging residents to take steps to guard against hypothermia and other emergencies common during severely cold weather.  

“Winter can be a beautiful time of year in Wichita, but it also brings quiet dangers such as brutally cold temperatures,” said Bev Morlan, regional executive director in a statement. “everyone, especially senior citizens and children, should take precautions to guard against hypothermia this winter, and the Red Cross can help.”

Severely cold weather may cause hypothermia, a serious condition that predominantly affects young children and people over the age of 60. Symptoms of hypothermia include: confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.

Protect Yourself

•    Dress in several layers of lightweight clothing, which will keep you warmer than a single heavy coat.

•    Mittens provide more warmth to your hands than gloves.

•    most of your body heat is lost through your head. Wear a hat, preferably one that covers your ears.

•    Seek medical attention immediately if you have symptoms of hypothermia including:  confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering.

•    Seek medical attention immediately if you have symptoms of frostbite including: numbness, flushed gray, white, blue or yellow skin discoloration, numbness, or skin that appears waxy feeling skin.

•    Wear waterproof, insulated boots to keep your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing in ice and snow.

•    Remove wet clothes immediately and help warm your core body temperature by wrapping yourself in a  blanket or drinking warm fluids like hot cider or soup.

•    take frequent breaks and stay hydrated.

•    Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol if you think you might have hypothermia or frostbite.

Protect Yourself at Home

•    Be careful with candles – Do not use candles for lighting if the power goes out. Use flashlights only.

•    Inspect fireplaces and wood stoves yearly – Use a sturdy fire screen with lit fires. Burn only wood – never burn paper or pine boughs.

•    Use generators correctly –Never operate a generator inside your home, including the basement or garage. Do not hook up a generator directly to your home's wiring. the safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator. Do not hook up a generator directly to your home's wiring.

•    Prevent frozen pipes – When the weather is very cold outside, open cabinet doors to let warm air circulate around water pipes. let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe – even at a trickle – helps prevent pipes from freezing because the temperature of the water running through it is above freezing. keep the thermostat set to a consistent temperature.

•    Check smoke alarms – make sure alarms are working properly and replace batteries as necessary.

•    Be aware of overuse of electrical outlets – Don't overload your electrical outlets. Be careful that extension cords don’t create hazardous walkways.

With dangerously-cold weather moving into the areatonight and staying for a few days the Red Cross has offered these tips. Protect Yourself Dress in several layers of lightweight clothing, which will keep you warmer than a single heavy coat. Mittens provide more warmth to your hands than gloves. Wear a hat, preferably one that covers your ears. Wear waterproof, insulated boots to keep your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing in ice and snow. if you must work outdoors take frequent breaks and stay hydrated. Seek medical attention immediately if you have symptoms of hypothermia including confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. Seek medical attention immediately if you have symptoms of frostbite including numbness, flushed gray, white, blue or yellow skin discoloration, numbness, or waxy feeling skin. Don’t Forget your Neighbors and Fido Check on people who require special assistance such as elderly people living alone, people with disabilities and children. Don’t forget pets – bring them indoors.  if that’s not possible, provide adequate shelter to keep them warm and make sure they can get to unfrozen water.

Heat your Home Safely all heaters need space! Keep things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment, fireplaces and stoves. Place portable space heaters on a hard, level, nonflammable surface.  do not put space heaters on rugs or carpets, near bedding or drapes, and keep children and pets away.  look for a model that shuts off automatically if the space heater tips over.  do not use heating equipment to dry wet clothing. never use the stove or oven to heat your home. never leave portable heaters, wood burning stoves or fireplaces unattended.  Turn them off before leaving or going to bed. Keep the fire in the fireplace by using a glass or metal screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs. be careful with candles – do not use candles for lighting if the power goes out. use flashlights only.

About the American Red Cross: the American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. the Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. for more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at blog.redcross.org.