Wisconsin Winter Awareness Week

November 7-11, 2011

Winter is soon approaching and Red Cross wants you to be prepared and safe. November 7-11, 2011 is Winter Awareness Week in Wisconsin. The annual campaign, sponsored by Wisconsin Emergency Management’s (WEM), ReadyWisconsin program and NOAAs National Weather Service (NWS), encourages people to be prepared for winter conditions that could threaten their safety.

The number one thing to do: make sure you have an emergency supply kit in your car; it could save your life, says Tod Pritchard, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at Wisconsin Emergency Management.

Winter storms are considered deceptive killers because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm. Examples of such deaths include traffic accidents on icy or snow-covered roads, prolonged exposure to the cold and indoor carbon monoxide poisoning. It is important to start taking preventive measures for winter weather. Now is the time to winterize your car and home, gather items for an emergency kit in your car, and make sure you have a NOAA Weather Radio with fresh batteries.

Additional winter weather tips and how to put together a winter emergency kit are available at the ReadyWisconsin website. In addition, there are numerous winter storm maps and a history of Wisconsin's winter weather produced by the National Weather Service. For more information, visit ReadyWisconsin at readywisconsin.wi.gov.

For more information on the winter weather awareness campaign, contact your county emergency management director or your local NWS office. For a list of safety tips and winter facts, visit: http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov/news/2011/2011_Winter_Awareness_Media_Packet_(safety_tips).pdf