From: Governor's Office of Emergency Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2007

CONTACT: Eric Lamoureux or Greg Renick
(OES) 916-845-8400
Mike Bowman
Health Services (916) 440-7660

SACRAMENTO: In response to forecasts for unusually cold
temperatures throughout much of California in the coming days,
officials with the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES)
and the California Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) today
urged Californians to prepare themselves, their family members, and
their animals for the possible effects of the inclement weather.

The National Weather Service has reported to OES that temperatures
will drop into the 20s and 30s Wednesday night into Thursday, followed
by daytime temperatures in the mid 40s in most areas. On Friday and
into the weekend, temperatures will drop further, reaching the high
teens to low 20s in most areas at night, and continued daytime lows
in the mid 40s.

"Exposure to extreme cold can be dangerous to your health," said
Dr. Mark Horton, State Public Health Officer. "To protect yourself
in extremely cold weather remember to wear several layers of
clothing, travel with caution and be alert for the symptoms of
exposure. Monitor family members and those around you who are at
greatest risk from exposure, such as seniors, young children and
people with underlying illnesses or chronic conditions."

"The safety of all Californians is our utmost concern," said OES
Director Henry Renteria. "The emergency advance planning efforts
we engage in with our state and local partners ensure that any and
all support that the State can provide local governments over the
coming days is available."

Coordination with partner State agencies currently includes the
California National Guard and the California Department of Food and
Agriculture working with local government officials to make armories
and fair grounds available to supplement their sheltering needs.
Currently, there are 11 California National Guard armories that have
been opened as shelters from the cold in Gilroy , Sunnyvale , Santa
Cruz, Merced , Sylmar, Ventura , Los Angeles ( Federal Ave ), Culver
City, Santa Ana , Fullerton , and Glendale . They are opened daily
from
6 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Horton and Renteria urged Californians to take action today to reduce
their risk of health-related problems and property damage. They also
stressed the importance of checking on family members and neighbors
who are elderly or have special needs.

Actions that can be taken to help protect against severe cold and
freezing temperatures include:

1) Preparing your home and family
- Review and update your family emergency plan.
- Replenish your emergency supply kits including
battery-operated radio and flashlights.
- Have extra blankets on hand.
- Have a plan for meeting the needs of infants, children,
seniors and those with disabilities.
- Winterize your house, barn, shed or any other structure that
may provide shelter for your family, neighbors, livestock or
equipment. Clear rain gutters; repair roof leaks and cut away tree
branches that could fall on a house or other structure during a
storm.
- Move family pets indoors or to an enclosure out of the
elements. Likewise protect livestock or other large animals from the
cold weather.
- Move plants indoors or cover with blankets or plastic to
prevent freezing.
- Maintain a sufficient supply of heating fuel.
- Insulate pipes and allow faucets to drip during cold weather
to avoid freezing.
- Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in
your house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional
risk, as people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the
necessary safety precautions.
- Do NOT bring heating devices into the home that are intended
for outdoor use, such as barbecues and other cooking equipment or
other fuel burning devices. These items can produce deadly carbon
monoxide.
- Learn how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).
- Hire a contractor to check the structural ability of the roof
to sustain unusually heavy weight from the accumulation of snow - or
water, if drains on flat roofs do not work.

2) Dressing for the Weather
- Wear several layers of loose fitting, lightweight, warm
clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. The outer garments
should be tightly woven and water repellent.
- Wear mittens, which are warmer than gloves.
- Wear a hat.
- Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.

3) Traveling with caution
- Have your car winterized and make sure it is working properly.
- Install good winter tires. Make sure the tires have adequate
tread.
- Augment your car's emergency supply kit with a shovel,
windshield scraper and blankets.
- Maintain at least a half tank of gas during the winter
season.
- Check road conditions before departing.
- Let others know of your route and your estimated time of
arrival.

4) Recognizing symptoms of exposure
- Confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and shivering are signs of
hypothermia. Possibly: if you experience any of these symptoms, seek
medical attention immediately.
- Gray, white or yellow skin discoloration, numbness or waxy
skin are symptoms of frostbite. If you experience any of these
symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.
- In the case of overexposure to freezing temperatures, remove
wet clothing and immediately warm the body with a blanket or warm
fluids like hot cider or soup. Avoid caffeine or alcohol.

For more information on preparing for emergencies, visit the
Governor's Office of Emergency Services Web site at
http://www.oes.ca.gov.
For health-related information, visit the Department of Health
Services Web site at http://www.dhs.ca.gov.