REMEMBER SAFETY DURING WINTER WEATHER
Martin County, FL – The Florida Department of Health in Martin County urges residents to take precautions to stay healthy and safe during extreme cold weather. With wind chills forecasted as low as 40 degrees or lower, it is important to take extra precautions.
Winter safety tips:
- Stay indoors as much as possible to keep healthy, safe and warm. Be sure to check on friends and family members and neighbors who are especially at risk from cold weather hazards: young children, older adults and the chronically ill.
- For outside activities, dress in multiple layers of loose-fitting clothing.
- Heat your home safely. If you plan to use a wood stove, fireplace, or space heater, be extremely careful. Make sure each appliance is properly adjusted and you have followed the manufacturer’s instructions and local building codes for use.
- Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning by never using generators, charcoal grills or gas grills indoors and by installing a CO detector to alert you of the presence of the deadly, odorless, colorless gas.
- Bring pets out of the cold weather and provide them warm shelter.
- Cold weather can displace wild animals. Stay clear of wild or feral animals including cats, bats or raccoons especially if they look sick or appear injured. They could have rabies and hurt animals can also injure you.
For more information on winter weather safety, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Winter Weather Preparedness page.
