Red Cross: Get ready now for winter weather

The American Red Cross of Greater Kansas urges Kansans to prepare for a winter storm that will blow through the area starting Friday.

The storm is expected to bring snow, ice, sleet, freezing rain and extreme cold across a wide area, affecting millions of people.

“Storms like this can cause transportation, heat, power and communication disruptions. They can also lead to stores and workplaces closing. But you can take action to prepare now and protect yourself, your loved ones and your home,” said Jane Blocher, Executive Director of the Red Cross of Greater Kansas.

WINTER SAFETY 
Stay warm indoors. If your home becomes too cold, go to a public library, shopping mall or warming center.

1. Use care with space heaters and fireplaces to prevent fires. Keep anything that could catch fire at least 3 feet from the heat. Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
2. Use battery-powered lights and flashlights instead of candles to prevent fires.
3. To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, don’t use an oven to heat your home.
4. Carbon monoxide kills. If you start to feel sick, dizzy, or weak, get to fresh air right away.
5. If you must go outside, wear layers of loose clothing, a coat, hat, mittens and water-resistant boots. Use a scarf to cover your face and mouth.
6. Check on loved ones and neighbors to make sure they are staying warm, particularly if they are older or live alone.
7. Be careful walking on snow or ice and avoid overexertion when shoveling snow. If possible, work with a partner and take frequent breaks.
8. Stay off the roads when possible. If you become stranded, stay in the vehicle and wait for help.

Stay warm to avoid frostbite and hypothermia. Your nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers and toes are often the first areas affected.

1. Signs of frostbite include pain, numbness or a change in skin color.
2. Signs of hypothermia, which can be deadly, often include shivering, confusion, drowsiness and slurred speech.
3. Act fast and get out of the cold immediately if you see signs of hypothermia or frostbite.
4. Get emergency medical care right away.

POWER OUTAGE 
To prepare for a power outage, make a plan of what to do and how to stay connected.

1. Consider your electrical needs and, in the event of an outage, ask yourself how you will stay warm, make food, have clean water and communicate with others.
2. If you need to keep medications cool or use medical devices that need power, discuss a backup plan with your doctor.
3. In some situations, it may not be safe to stay home, so know where you will go if you need to evacuate, how you will get there and where you will stay.

During a power outage, unplug appliances and electronics to avoid damage from power surges. Leave one light on, so you’ll know when power is restored.

1. Use flashlights or battery-operated lanterns — not candles to avoid fires.
2. Don’t drive unless necessary. Traffic lights will be out and roads could be congested.
3. Decide if you need to stay or go if your home is too hot or cold, or if you have medical devices that need power.

To prevent illness, keep food cold. When in doubt, throw it out.

1. Eat fresh, perishable foods first.
2. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to help keep food cold. Use coolers with ice if necessary.
3. Measure the food temperature in your refrigerator and freezer with a thermometer. Throw out perishable food that has been warmer than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you’re using a generator, keep it dry and don’t use it in wet conditions.

1. Never use a generator, grill, camp stove or other gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal-burning device inside a home, garage, basement or other partially enclosed area. Keep this equipment outside and away from doors, windows and vents, which could allow carbon monoxide to come indoors.
2. Operate the generator on a dry surface and don’t touch a generator with wet hands.
3. Turn the generator off and let it cool down before refueling. Gasoline spilled on hot engine parts could catch fire.
4. Plug appliances directly into the generator. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet.

PREVENT FROZEN PIPES Frozen pipes can be an inconvenience, or they can cause significant damage to your home. Pipes that freeze most frequently are those exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, and water sprinkler lines; water supply pipes in unheated interior areas like basements and crawl spaces, attics, garages, or kitchen cabinets; and pipes that run against exterior walls that have little or no insulation.

1. Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
2. 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.
3. When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing.
4. 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.
5. If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F.

If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe. Likely places for frozen pipes include against exterior walls or where your water service enters your home through the foundation. If you have frozen pipes, try to safely thaw them.

1. Keep the faucet open. As you treat the frozen pipe and the frozen area begins to melt, water will begin to flow through the frozen area. Running water through the pipe will help melt ice in the pipe.
2. Apply heat to the section of pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater (kept away from flammable materials), or by wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water. Do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device.
3. Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. If you are unable to locate the frozen area, if the frozen area is not accessible, or if you can not thaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber.
4. Check all other faucets in your home to find out if you have additional frozen pipes. If one pipe freezes, others may freeze, too.

PLEASE GIVE BLOOD 
The Red Cross is facing a severe blood shortage as requests from hospitals exceed the available supply of blood, leading to about a 35% drawdown of blood products in the past month. Extreme winter weather impacted about 400 blood drives last month alone — more than three times the number of blood drives impacted during the same time the previous year. As a result, thousands of blood donations have gone uncollected.

This latest round of winter storms could delay or cancel more blood drives at a time when every unit of blood could be the difference for doctors facing difficult choices about which patients receive blood transfusions and who will need to wait. Where it’s safe to do so, please make an appointment to give blood in the coming days and weeks. Use the Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

All who come to give Jan. 26-Feb. 28, 2026, will receive a $20 e-gift card to a merchant of choice. See RedCrossBlood.org/Heart for details.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.