Monday: Minnesota Winter Hazard Week — November 10-14, 2008

Sponsored annually by the Department of Public Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM), next week is Winter Hazard Safety week. Each day is devoted to a different topic concerning winter safety. To help with the effort, cities across the state are holding forums, providing daily winter safety tips and publicizing the effort in local newspapers and on city websites.

The week is broken down as:

• Day 1 Surviving Winter Weather

During A Winter Storm

• Listen to NOAA weather radio, local radio or television for the latest weather reports and emergency information.
• If you plan to be outside, dress in layered clothing and avoid over-exertion.
• Wear a hat; most body heat is lost through the top of the head.
• If your vehicle becomes stranded, stay with it until help arrives. Do not try to walk for help during a blizzard.

Identifying the reason behind the week the HSEM press release identified the issues:

Over the last 10 years, more than 50 people drowned after falling through thin ice, and 65 percent of ice drownings were vehicle related. Last winter, 22 people died in snowmobile accidents; half those fatal events involved alcohol or drug use. And during 2005–2007 in Minnesota, officers reported snow or icy road conditions in nearly 41,000 crashes that resulted in 159 deaths and 13,000 injuries. Clearly, people are being “surprised” by weather conditions."

The plan is, no matter how harsh the winter, to make sure everyone is safe and alive at the end of it.