The Advocate

A New Yorker in winter clothes prepares to cross a snowy street as a yellowcab and another car drive

Winter Storm Preparedness And Safety Guide

December 20th, 2023

As our climate changes, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events can lead to an increased risk of hazardous winter weather. Special and careful precautions should be taken by those who are 65 years or older, those with serious medical and mental health conditions, infants, and the unhoused population. This post is dedicated to providing New Yorkers with the tips and resources they need to prepare for hazardous cold and winter weather. 

Know Your Terms: 

It’s important that you familiarize yourself with the proper advisory terms for Winter Storms, Freezing Rain, Snow, and Wind Chill. Visit the National Weather Service for all winter weather terminology! 

Cold Weather Health Emergencies:

New Yorkers can develop serious health problems from extended exposure to cold temperatures. In freezing temperatures, it’s possible to develop hypothermia and/or frostbite. 

Hypothermia

What is it?: A medical emergency that occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. 

Effects: Body temperature that is too low affects the brain, causing the individual to be unable to think clearly or move well.

Signs for Adults: Shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, drowsiness, slurred speech

Signs for Infants: Bright red, cold skin, very low energy

What to Do:

  • Seek medical attention immediately
  • If medical care is not available:
  • Get into a warm room
  • Remove any wet clothes
  • Warm the center of the body first: chest, neck, head
  • Drink warm beverages

Frostbite

What is it?: Damage to the skin and tissue that is caused by exposure to freezing temperatures below 31 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Effects: Causes a loss of feeling and color in affected areas (nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes). Frostbite can permanently damage the body and in severe cases lead to amputation.

Signs: Areas of white or grayish-yellow skin, skin that feels unusually firm or waxy, numbness.

What to Do: 

  • Seek medical attention immediately
  • If medical care is not available:
    • Get into a warm room 
    • Do not walk on frostbitten toes or feet; this increases damage
    • Immerse the affected area in warm – not hot – water
    • Warm the affected area using body heat 
    • Do not use a heating pad, heat lamp, or the heat of a stove, fireplace, or radiator for warming. Affected areas are numb and can be easily burned

Staying Warm During the Winter Weather

Image of a Manhattan avenue during the winter with snow covering the sidewalks

Help Yourself!

Bundle up for the winter weather:

  • Wear hats, hood, and scarfs
  • Wear layers for better insulation and warmth
  • Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered if you go outside
  • Keep clothing dry and if a layer becomes wet, remove it

Heavy exertion from shoveling snow and clearing debris can increase the risk of a heart attack and other issues.

  • Dress warm and cover exposed skin
  • Avoid overexertion when working outdoors
  • Limit your time outside

Help Others!

Check on neighbors, friends, and family who may need extra assistance to ensure that they are protected from the cold. Community members who encounter those in need of assistance should contact 311.

  • Infants, seniors, and people with paralysis or neuropathy are at increased risk of hypothermia and frostbite
  • Call 911 if you see someone with signs of hypothermia
  • Call 311 to see if a warming center is open near you

Pet Safety!

Pets can suffer discomfort from prolonged exposure to cold air, chilly rain, sleet, and snow. These conditions can cause chapped paws and itchy, flaking skin for your pets. Winter walks can be especially dangerous if ice-melting chemicals are licked off bare paws. 

Indoor Safety Tips:

As you try to stay warm inside, please ensure you are taking the proper precautions when working with various sources of heat. 

  • Ensure your home has a working smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector 
  • Use space heaters carefully:
    • Keep flammable materials (furniture, curtains, carpeting, etc.) at least three feet away from sources of heat. 
    • Never use a gas stove or charcoal grill to heat your home. 
    • If a carbon monoxide detector sounds or you smell gas, open nearby windows then go outside and call 911. 
    • Kerosene heaters and propane space heaters are illegal in NYC.
    • Never leave space heaters unattended, especially around children. 
    • Never hang clothes over a space heater to dry.
    • Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet, not an extension cord. 
    • Unplug space heaters whenever you leave the room or go to sleep.

No Heat or Water?

Report immediately any loss of heat or hot water to your building superintendent, property manager, or owner.

  • From October 1 and May 31, New York City regulations require landlords to maintain an indoor temperature of at least 68 degrees between 6am and 10pm when it is below 55 degrees outside. 
  • Learn about the Heat Season legislation that then-Council Member Williams passed in 2017 in the New York City Council

Visit the Department of Housing Preservation and Development website for more information.

Need Energy Assistance? 

Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a federally funded program that helps low-income homeowners and renters heat and cool their homes. This benefit is paid directly to the heating vendor or utility company.

Benefits under HEAP:

  • Regular HEAP Benefit 
  • Emergency HEAP Benefit
  • Heating Equipment Repair or Replacement Benefit
  • Clean and Tune Benefit
  • Cooling Assistance Benefit

If you are eligible, you may receive one regular HEAP benefit per program year and could also be eligible for emergency HEAP benefits if you are in danger of running out of fuel or having your utility service shut off.

Visit the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance for more detailed information on each Benefit.

Stay up to date on all weather updates and winter storm emergencies by signing up for Notify NYC and visiting NYC Severe Weather for the latest information and forecasts around severe weather conditions in NYC!


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