Get ready now for unpredictable spring weather.

Spring is the time of year when many things change—including the weather. Spring temperatures can swing back and forth between balmy and frigid. Extreme weather changes can sometimes occur within the same day. Days filled with sun and gentle breezes can suddenly become cloudy, bringing thunderstorms and possibly tornadoes or flooding. Mark Twain once said, “In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.”

Thunderstorms cause most of the severe spring weather. They can bring lightning, tornadoes, and flooding. Whenever warm, moist air collides with cool, dry air, thunderstorms can occur. For much of the world, this happens in spring and summer.

Because spring weather is so unpredictable, you may be unprepared when severe weather hits—particularly if you live in a region that does not often experience thunderstorms, tornadoes or flooding. When severe weather hits unexpectedly, the risk of injury and death increases, so planning ahead makes sense. Prepare for storms, floods, and tornadoes in advance, because in the spring, they very likely will.

Advance planning for thunderstorms, lightning, tornadoes or floods requires specific safety precautions. Still, you can follow many of the same steps for all extreme weather events.

Have on hand:

• A battery-operated flashlight, a battery-operated NOAA Weather Radio, and extra batteries for both
• An emergency evacuation plan, including a map of the home and, for each type of severe weather emergency, routes to safety from each room
• A list of important personal information, including
  • telephone numbers of neighbors, family and friends
  • insurance and property information
  • telephone numbers of utility companies
  • medical information
• A first aid kit including
  • prescription medication
  • hydrogen peroxide
  • antibiotic ointment
  • over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin and diarrhea medicine
  • bandages and dressings for injuries
  • A 3–5 day supply of bottled water and nonperishable food
• Personal hygiene items
• Blankets or sleeping bags
• An emergency kit in your car

Prepare family members for the possibility of severe weather. Tell them where to seek appropriate shelter as soon as they are aware of an approaching storm. Practice an emergency plan for each type of severe weather. Show family members where the emergency supplies are stored, and make sure they know how to turn off the water, gas, and electricity in the home. Advance planning can decrease the risks when severe weather strikes in the spring.

Information provided by iMOM

Driving in Snow and Ice

The best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all, if you can avoid it.

Don’t go out until the snow plows and sanding trucks have had a chance to do their work, and allow yourself extra time to reach your destination.

If you must drive in snowy conditions, make sure your car is prepared (TIPS), and that you know how to handle road conditions.

It’s helpful to practice winter driving techniques in a snowy, open parking lot, so you’re familiar with how your car handles. Consult your owner’s manual for tips specific to your vehicle.

Driving safely on icy roads

1. Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
2. Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
3. Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
4. Keep your lights and windshield clean.
5. Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
6. Don’t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
7. Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
8. Don’t pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you’re likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
9. Don’t assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

If your rear wheels skid…

1. Take your foot off the accelerator.
2. Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they’re sliding right, steer right.
3. If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.
4. If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.
5. If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes pulse — this is normal.

If your front wheels skid…

1. Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don’t try to steer immediately.
2. As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in “drive” or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.

If you get stuck…

1. Do not spin your wheels. This will only dig you in deeper.
2. Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.
3. Use a light touch on the gas, to ease your car out.
4. Use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.
5. Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.
6. Try rocking the vehicle. (Check your owner’s manual first — it can damage the transmission on some vehicles.) Shift from forward to reverse, and back again. Each time you’re in gear, give a light touch on the gas until the vehicle gets going.
7. More Tips

Sources: National Safety Council, New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Washington State Government Information & Services

Make sure your bike is safe

• The pedals, seat and handlebars let you control your bike. Make sure they are firmly attached.
• Make sure the tires are in good condition and are properly inflated.
• Inspect the braking system to ensure that it will function adequately when needed.

Wear a Helmet

The majority of bicycle vs. motor-vehicle collision deaths are caused by head injuries. Helmets can help reduce the frequency and severity of head injuries, but are only effective if properly fitted and adjusted. Always wear the helmet level on your head. The side buckles should be adjusted to fit snugly when the chin buckle is closed. Bicycle helmets are designed to withstand one crash only. Structural damage is not always visible, so never use a crashed or secondhand helmet.

Obey Traffic Laws

Traffic law violations cause the majority of bicycle/motor vehicle collisions. By following traffic laws, cyclists are predictable to other drivers.

• Ride in the direction of traffic, on the road and not on the sidewalks – sidewalks are for pedestrians.
• Obey traffic signs and signals.
• Yield when entering a roadway.
• Signal before turning or changing lanes.
• Pass on the left.
• Use proper lighting at night.

Road Hazards

• Continually scan for hazards that could cause you to lose control.
• Remember that having the right-of-way is less important than keeping yourself from a collision.
• In wet conditions, give yourself extra room to stop.
• Rainy conditions are usually low light conditions, too, so take steps to make yourself more visible.
• When crossing slippery surfaces (pavement markings, utility covers, etc..) avoid braking or turning.
• Cross train tracks at a right angle and stand up to absorb shock from uneven surfaces.

Bicycle Statistics

• There are 85 million bicycle riders in the US.
• 773 bicyclists died on US roads in 2006, down just 11 from the year before. 92% of them died in crashes with motor vehicles (720).
• About 540,000 bicyclists visit emergency rooms with injuries every year. Of those, about 67,000 have head injuries, and 27,000 have injuries serious enough to be hospitalized.
• Bicycle crashes and injuries are under-reported, since the majority are not serious enough for emergency room visits. 44,000 cyclists were reported injured in traffic crashes in 2006.
• 1 in 8 of the cyclists with reported injuries has a brain injury.
• Two-thirds of the deaths are from traumatic brain injury.
• A very high percentage of cyclists’ brain injuries can be prevented by a helmet, estimated at anywhere from 45 to 88 percent.
• About half of the deaths are children under 15 years old.
• Direct costs of cyclists’ injuries due to not using helmets are estimated at $81 million each year.
• Indirect costs of cyclists’ injuries due to not using helmets are estimated at $2.3 billion each year.

All of your emergency responders and staff at Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue want each of you to have a safe and enjoyable summer.

Federal, state, and local emergency management experts and other official preparedness organizations all agree that “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” is the appropriate action to reduce injury and death during earthquakes. The ShakeOut is our opportunity to practice how to protect ourselves during earthquakes. The Shake out will take place April 28, 2011 at 10:15 a.m.

PROTECT YOURSELF. SPREAD THE WORD.

Official rescue teams who have been dispatched to the scene of earthquakes and other disasters around the world continue to advocate use of the internationally recognized “Drop, Cover and Hold On” protocol to protect lives during earthquakes:

• DROP to the ground (before the earthquake drops you!),
• Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, and
• HOLD ON to it until the shaking stops.

Go to http://www.shakeout.org/centralus/ to sign up and learn more about the SHAKE OUT.

A child under the age of five is twice as likely to die in a residential fire than the rest of the population.

The campaign’s slogan: “Prepare. Practice. Prevent the Unthinkable.” urges parents and caregivers to prepare by installing and maintaining working smoke alarms; safely storing lighters and matches out of children’s reach and sight; and practicing a fire escape plan with small children, which should include helping toddlers understand how to quickly respond in case of fire, and planning how adults can escape with babies.

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Flu-like symptoms, fatigue
• Impaired judgment
• Chest pain
• Confusion
• Drowsiness

Long term exposure can lead to unconsciousness and death. If your carbon monoxide detector sounds call 911 immediately. We have special detectors that look for concentrations of carbon monoxide and help us to identify the problem.

See the full news story, courtesy of WTHI TV

WTHI TV follow-up story.

Ensuring the fire hydrants are clear of snow can save valuable time in an emergency!! Remember, in an emergency, time is critical!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwtJQhDaaz0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hpdz1IFD-k