Living in theSoutheast has many advantages - including not having to endure long, cold winters and snowstorms! However, many of us have family and friends in the Northeast, Midwest, Great Plains and other areas of the country that receive significant snowfall. During these times, we worry about their safety. Paul Davis Emergency Services of Cleveland & Rutherford Counties wants you tothink about how you can reach out across the miles to help those in snowy areas.

No matter where you live, there’s always something you can do to help out the people you care about when they are snowed in:

1.      Prolonged power outages can be dangerous for families that are snowed in after a sub-zero blizzard. Since you can’t pick up loved ones and bring them to you, call to give them some helpful tips for preventing hypothermia. For example, they can wall off a small room with thick blankets to create an insulated space that is easier to keep warm.

2.      If you have older or mobility-challenged relatives, they could be snowed in by even a minor snowstorm. Stay in touch with relatives or neighbors nearby and arrange for them to check on your relatives and dig them out. Make sure they know help is on the way.

3.       Have you recently moved from the northern US to an area that rarely has ice or snow? It only takes half an inch of ice to trap people in their homes down South. Your years of experience with driving safely on ice and snow-covered roads could save lives. Offer to run any emergency errands for your loved ones to keep them off the road.

4.       Do you have an older relative on a fixed income who is struggling to pay their heating bill? They could be in danger of hypothermia from having their heat cut off while they are snowed in. Many municipalities offer emergency fuel assistance programs that can help keep the heat turned on during severe winter weather. Get online and start making phone calls to ensure that your loved one doesn’t go without.

5.      Many cities in warm regions have few snow plows and sand trucks available to treat major bridges and roadways after a snowstorm (look what happened in Atlanta).They probably won’t get around to de-icing many residential streets at all. If you have a pickup truck with four wheel drive, you could organize some salt and gravel to treat the driveway and street in front of a loved one’s house.

6.      Maybe you are enjoying a balmy weekend in Florida when you find out on Facebook that relatives up north are snowed in. Spend some time online chatting and suggesting ways for them to stay entertained (and how to keep the kids busy).Just don’t talk about how nice the weather is in your neck of the woods. They may un-friend you forever.