11-10-14 winter awareness week

Governor Scott Walker has declared November 10-14, 2014 as Winter Awareness Week in Wisconsin.  The annual campaign, sponsored by Wisconsin Emergency Management, ReadyWisconsin preparedness program and NOAA’s National Weather Service , is to remind people to be prepared for winter conditions that could threaten their safety.   Winter storms are considered deceptive killers because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm. For example, in the last five years Wisconsin has averaged 18,000 motor vehicle crashes during winter months. On average, 45 people are killed each year and more than 4700 injured on  icy or snow-covered roads.    Carbon monoxide poisoning is also a danger.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States, with more than 20,000 people visiting the emergency room and nearly 500 killed each year from overexposure to the gas.   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.