With temperatures expected to remain in the low 20’s over the next few days as well as an extremely cold wind chill, Marion emergency management officials have issued some cold weather safety advisory tips for residents.

• Continue to be aware of the timing of extreme weather conditions by monitoring media reports.
• Make sure you always have a well-stocked Winter Home Emergency Supply Kit that includes flashlights, portable radio, extra batteries, a first aid kit, bottled water, non-perishable food, a manual can opener, and extra heavy blankets.
• Minimize outside activities, particularly the elderly and very young.  Also, consider your pets.
• Dress in several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight clothing, rather than a single layer of heavy clothing.  Outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent.  Wear a hat, mittens, and sturdy waterproof boots protecting your extremities.  Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.
• Excessive exposure can lead to frostbite.  Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and a pale appearance in extremities, such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, or the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, seek medical help immediately.
• Hypothermia can occur in extreme cases.  The warning signs are uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion.  If the person's temperature drops below 95 degrees, seek immediate medical care.
• Ensure you have sufficient heating fuel as well as emergency heating equipment in case you lose electricity.
• When utilizing alternate heating sources, such as your fireplace, wood stove, space heater, or a generator, take the necessary safety precautions.  Keep the heat sources three-feet away from anything that can catch fire. Turn off space heaters when going to bed or leaving the house.
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy and ensure that you know how to use it properly. Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
• If you lose your heat, seal off unused rooms by stuffing towels in the cracks under the doors. At night, cover windows with extra blankets or sheets.
• To keep pipes from freezing, wrap them in insulation or layers of newspapers, covering the newspapers with plastic to keep out moisture. Allow a trickle of warm water to run from a faucet that is farthest from your water meter or one that has frozen in the past.  This will keep the water moving so that it cannot freeze.  Learn how to shut off your water if a pipe bursts.
• If pipes freeze, remove insulation, completely open all faucets and pour hot water over the pipes or wrap them with towels soaked in hot water, starting where they are most exposed to the cold.  A hand-held hair dryer, used with caution, also works well.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
• Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
• Make sure your car is properly winterized.  Keep the gas tank at least half-full.  Carry a Winter Emergency Car Kit in the trunk including blankets, extra clothing, flashlight with spare batteries, a can and waterproof matches (to melt snow for drinking water), non-perishable foods, windshields scraper, shovel, sand, towrope and jumper cables.