Clark County Emergency Management Department Offers Tips to Stay Safe in Summer Weather
Friday, July 27th, 2018 -- 12:44 PM
-As we continue on with the 2nd half of the summer, the Clark County Emergency Management Department reminds residents to be vigilant of the hazards of summer weather.So far this year, we’ve experienced several waves of hot and humid weather. John Ross, the Clark County Emergency Management Director, talked about the dangers of extreme heat and humidity and how you can protect yourself from those dangers.
"Heat is a definite hazard just like extreme cold can be in the winter. They both present a danger. It's not something that people generally thing about at the top of their list as hazards to worry about. But it can be a very dangerous situation and, as you said, it seems this summer we have had an unusual amount of days we've had to deal with this. It is definitely something to be aware of. It is definitely something people can take steps toward to manage."
"For example, having a place with air conditioning if it's available. If you don't have air conditioning, opening your windows, using a fan, keeping your windows covered to keep sunlight out. Lower floors of buildings or basements tend to be cooler, so those are also options. Paying attention if you have to be outside. Try to limit your activity as much as you can during the peak heating hours of the day. Keeping yourself hydrated. Drink plenty of water. You might not feel thirsty, but it's always a good idea. Avoid things like caffeine and alcohol. Adjust your schedule if you can. Wear lightweight, loose fitting light colored clothing; that tends to help. Obviously, if you're working outside and working around conditions where loose fitting clothing isn't a good idea, use appropriate caution."
"Sometimes, medications that people take can have an impact on people if they're out in the hot weather. If you have concerns about that, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Obviously, don't leave children or pets in vehicles. Temperatures inside vehicles can rise dramatically in a very short amount of time and, unfortunately, we hear stories every year of children who lose their lives because they were left in a parked vehicle."
"Know the symptoms and signs of heat related illness. Things like muscle cramps can be an indicator that your body is having trouble dealing with the heat. If you experience symptoms, don't hesitate to seek medical attention. It can become a life threatening emergency rather quickly. But, be aware of conditions. Be aware of what the forecast is. Check on your neighbors, those that have chronic health conditions that are particularly susceptible to hot weather. Know your neighbors. Check on your neighbors and take appropriate precautions."
Usually what ends up breaking our extreme heat waves are storms. Storms present a variety of hazards and John talked about those and how you can protect yourself.
"In Wisconsin, we are certainly not immune to severe weather, whether it be thunderstorms, heavy rain, tornados. Wisconsin averages about 23 tornadoes a year. These storms can pop up with little to no warning sometimes. The best advice I can give to people is to be aware. Be informed. Have sources to get that weather information whether you’re outside or whether you’re at work or school or at home. Have sources to get that, whether it’s a NOAA All Hazards Radio, local TV, local radio. There are services out there including the Nixel service that Clark County has where you can receive texts or emails or calls on your wireless phone with some of these emergency messages. Have those sources and know where you’re going to get the information so you can be as prepared as possible.”
“Know the terminology. Know the difference between a watch and a warning. A watch means conditions are favorable for a particular type of severe weather. A warning means that type of weather is taking place or is imminent in your area, so know what to do. Know where your shelter spots are. Know where you’re going to go. Those are all very important things.”
“Lightning can be a very dangerous thing as well. If you hear thunder, you’re close enough to be struck by lightning, so take it seriously. Seek an appropriate place of shelter if there’s thunder and lightning in the area. And be aware of those hazards and where you’re going to go to keep yourself safe.”
John said you should always have a preparedness kit ready in case the worse should happen be it with a severe storm or some other disaster.
“I encourage everyone to have a kit. They don’t have to be budget busters to put them together. You can assemble a kit rather economically. Things to include in the kit would be nonperishable foods so that if the power is out you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to cook things. How you’re going to keep things cold. Drinking water. The general rule is one gallon per day per person in the household. Have batteries, flashlights, battery operated radio.”
“Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about storing medications. Some medications will keep better than others. That’s a good conversation for medical professionals. Be aware of needs for your pets as well as for infants and small children. Things like diapers, formula, pet supplies. Any special needs you may have for people in your household whether it be someone with a disability or an elderly person. Just be aware of your situation and what you would need to get through, potentially, several days if you’re stuck at home.”
A few weeks ago, there was some confusion by residents throughout the county when a siren was blown as a severe storm came into our area. John offered some clarification on that.
“The protocol is that when a Severe Thunderstorm Warning is issued local Fire Departments/EMS are paged and advised of the warning as well as on duty Law Enforcement. There are outdoor sirens at Russell Park in Hatfield and at Rock Dam that are programmed with “thunderstorm warning” voice messages that would also be activated during a severe thunderstorm warning. Local Fire/EMS/Law Enforcement can request sirens be activated in a community if they observe threatening weather or a possible tornado.”
“There are also 4 storm shelters which were constructed in 2012. These shelters are in mobile home parks in Neillsville, Town of Pine Valley and City of Loyal as well as a shelter at ADS in Greenwood. Dispatch can unlock those shelters remotely via radio which is also done. For a Tornado warning again, Fire/EMS and Law Enforcement are notified and the outdoor warning sirens in the communities in/near the warned area are activated and the 2 voice sirens at Russell Park and Rock Dam are activated with their respective “Tornado warning” voice messages.”
“The storm shelters described above are also unlocked. Based on current protocols the outdoor sirens, with the exception of the two voice sirens as described above, should only be activated for a tornado warning or if requested by local officials as described above. John encourages people to have multiple methods to receive alerts including local TV/Radio, NOAA all-hazards radios or telephone alerts such as the Nixle program that Clark County has in place. A link to register cell phones to receive text messages is on the Emergency Management page of the Clark County website.”
John ended our interview by stressing the importance of being prepared.
“I think the big thing is to plan for those hazards that we tend to have to face here in our area. Be ready, have a plan, make a kit, be informed. Talk to your family and the people that live in your home. Talk to them about what the plans are, where things are kept, where the emergency supply kits are kept. Make sure that you’re checking those kits and replacing things as they need to be replaced, similar to smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. You have to maintain them for them to work when they’re really needed. The supply kit and the battery operated flashlights and radios and etc, you have to take care of them so they’ll work when you need them. The last thing you want to have happen is the power goes out and it’s going to be out for an extended period of time and you find out that the batteries have failed in your flashlights or radio or whatever and something isn’t working the way it’s supposed to and isn’t usable the way it was intended.”
“Review this stuff regularly. Talk to your family. Know what the plan is at work, at school, other places. Take the need to prepare seriously, even though it’s not always the funnest thing to think about, take it seriously because it’s very, very important.”
For more information on safety and preparedness for various hazards, you can visit the Clark County Emergency Management Department’s website.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.