Neighbors help neighbors clear their driveways and walkways in Columbia on Thursday after nearly a foot of snow blanketed the area. (Thomas Harrelson/Baltimore Sun Media Group video)

Howard County officials said Thursday that three county men died after suffering heart attacks while outside their homes during the snowstorm, and that two were shoveling snow when they collapsed.

The first incident occurred just after 9:30 a.m., when a witness called an ambulance after seeing a man collapse while shoveling. The man, 56-year-old Richard Tucker of the 1600 block of Woodstock Road in Woodstock, was transported to Howard County General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to county fire department spokesman Marc Fisher.

The second incident happened just after 10:30 a.m., in the 9700 block of Owen Brown Road in Columbia. According to emergency officials, James Wells, 57, collapsed outside his home. Wells' family and several bystanders called 911, but rescuers were unable to resuscitate him at the scene, officials said.

According to Fisher, the third incident, and the second officials confirmed was related to shoveling, involved Kenneth Frame, 61, in the 5000 block of Southern Star Terrace in Columbia. A witness called 911 after seeing Frame collapse. Frame was taken to Howard County General Hospital shortly after noon, where he was pronounced dead.

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman urged county residents to be careful.

"This is deep, heavy snow, and I implore everyone to take it easy," he said. "Please don't over-exert yourself. Clear a little at a time. Or ask a neighbor to help. We need to pitch in as a community during times like these. If you know of a neighbor who could use assistance, please offer to do a little shoveling. We can't prevent all emergencies, but we can take smart steps to be safe and help others."

Dr. Eric Aldrich, the vice president for medical affairs at Howard County General Hospital, offered tips on how to shovel safely.

"In general, there's two kinds of problems that doctors worry our patients can have [while shoveling]," he said. "One has to do with neck and back issues and the other is cardiac. On the cardiac side, if you have any history of cardiac disease, and especially if you are over 40, you shouldn't be doing any sort of physical exertion, shoveling or otherwsie, without consulting a physician."

People who have a history of shortness of breath or discomfort after walking up a flight of stairs should also get checked out, he said. And people with a family history of heart disease and stroke before the age of 60 should have a checkup, even if they feel healthy.

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3 in Howard Co. die after shoveling snow

While you're busy shoveling yourself out from mountains of snowmountains, I say!here's a friendly reminder that not all D.C. residents are capable of shoveling snow from their sidewalks and around their property.

As you probably know, it's D.C. law for property owners (residential and commercial) to keep their sidewalks, and other public areas around their property, clear of snow within eight hours after snowfall*. However, not all District residentsparticularly senior citizens and disabled residentsare able to do that. As such, the D.C. government looks to volunteers to join the Citizen Snow Team to help shovel snow.

"We are still in need of volunteers to shovel walkways for seniors and individuals with functional and access needs," Clarence Fluker, Communications and Special Initiatives Director for Serve DC, tells DCist in an email. "There is still a high demand for volunteers in Wards 4 and 7."

If you register to help out, which you can do here, Serve DC will match you based on proximity to those in need, so you won't have to travel too far from home.

*Note: While Serve DC's website says that "the District requires property owners (residential and commercial) to clear the sidewalks surrounding their property within 24 hours after a snowfall," the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency's website says that "D.C. law requires residents to remove snow from sidewalks and steps within eight hours of daylight after the snow stops."

Continued here:
Reminder: D.C. Still Needs Volunteers To Help Shovel Snow For Seniors And Residents With Disabilities

Feb. 13, 2014

As Thursdays weather continues to create challenging travel conditions throughout Virginia, the United States Postal Service has announced the temporary suspension of delivery services to customers in areas with ZIP codes that begin with 228, 229 and 244.

The suspension will impact mail service for Thursday, Fe. 13th. The affected areas are in the western part of the state where snowfall amounts ranged from 10-24 inches.

Conditions of secondary roads and weather-related transportation delays have led to the determination to suspend delivery for today, said Richmond District Manager Jeffrey Becker. We have made this unusual decision after careful consideration. The safety of our employees and our customers is of paramount importance. While taking into account weather conditions, every attempt will be made to resume normal delivery operations in those areas on Friday, February 14th.

Customers are reminded that mounds of snow and patches of ice in front of mailboxes create havoc for carriers trying to safely deliver the mail. Residents who maintain a clear path to the mailbox including steps, porches, walkways and street approach will help letter carriers maintain consistent delivery service.

All customers are reminded that Monday, Feb. 17, is Presidents Day and there will be no regular mail delivery or retail service on that day.

Link:
USPS Suspends Mail Delivery for Parts of Va.

KOTA KINABALU: Villagers at Kampung Kopungit in Luyang constituency here are worried that their safety is threatened by a landslide.

According to the village chief Geoffrey Kiun bin Salidou, he has notified the Luyang assemblymans office of their predicament.

Yesterday, two aides from the Luyang assemblymans office, Simon Yap Yen Fung and Noriah Onong, went to check on the landslide which is located just next to the community hall on top of the hill at Kepayan Ridge.

Also present with them during the inspection was the Village Development and Security Committee chairman of Kampung Kopungit, Peter Lajin Alousius, who highlighted several other problems like walkways, concrete steps, roads and drainage system that required attention.

Their inspection revealed that the landslide could endanger the side of the community hall and if not reinstated might cause further damages. The villagers here are worried that should the slope comes down during rainy weather, their access road would be totally cut off and the villagers will not be able to get in or out.

According to Simon, immediate remedial work needs to be done to protect the earth slope and the drains would have to be upgraded to effectively drain away the excess rainwater. The work would require a special allocation from the government fund, and this hopefully could be applied through the rural development fund under this years budget.

In thanking the Luyang assemblymans office for their attention, Geoffrey said though this village is in the heart of KK City, it is not always noticed. He hopes with the help of the Luyang assemblymans office, it will become better known to the KK people.

He said the proposal by the Luyang assemblyman for a viewing tower and platform to be built here is worth considering due to its unique and panaromic view of KK City from the top of the hill in the village.

This could benefit the village here as more visitors and tourists can come to the village. With more activities and visitors here, Kampung Kopungit may one day be transformed and developed into a model village within KK City.

To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names.

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Site Last Updated 1:48 am, Thursday

Published: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at 6:32 a.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at 3:50 p.m.

New Hanover tweeted that 21 schools are without power and tree limbs are blocking roadways. The district said some custodial employees may be called in for maintenance work.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Coastal Pender County, Brunswick County and New Hanover County at 3:36 p.m.

Freezing rain is the only hazard listed in the warning, with an additional trace to one-tenth of an inch expected.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the low to mid 30s, according to the warning.

The risk for widespread power outages is high and these may persist for several days if not longer in some locations, the warning said.

Travel conditions are expected to remain risky, and the weight of ice on trees paired with winds of 15 to 20 miles per hour and gusts of 30 miles per hour could lead to downed trees and power lines.

- Pressley Baird and Adam Wagner

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Duke Energy Progress was reporting 50,886 customers without power in New Hanover County. That's 44 percent of all customers. Brunswick County has 5,739 customers without power and Pender County has 5,647.

Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation reported 13,783 outages in Brunswick County, or about 18 percent of its customers there.

Excerpt from:
3:45 p.m. update - New Hanover, Brunswick schools closed; power failure risk could last for days

April Sottile walks on Main Street in Hendersonville, N.C., as the snow falsl on Monday.

What to expect?

The National Weather Service is calling for mainly light snow and sleet to impact the Upstate today and into tonight, but the precipitation is expected to become heavier Wednesday. Forecasters predict as much as 6-10 inches of snow, along with a tenth of an inch of ice. Travel conditions are expected to become treacherous, and temperatures are anticipated to remain in the lower 30s.

According to the American Red Cross, a Winter Storm Outlook means winter storm conditions are possible in the coming two to five days. A Winter Weather Advisory means weather conditions are expected to cause significant inconveniences and may be hazardous. During a Winter Storm Watch, winter storm conditions are possible within the next 36 to 48 hours. A Winter Storm Warning means life-threatening, severe winter conditions have begun or will begin in the next 24 hours, and that people should take precautions immediately.

The following is a list of supplies the American Red Cross suggests: at least a three-day supply of water, (one gallon per person per day); at least a three-day supply of easy to prepare food; flashlight; battery-powered or hand-cranked radio; extra batteries, first aid kit; a seven-day supply of medications, as well as medical supplies; multi-purpose tool; sanitation and personal hygiene items; copies of personal documents such as medical information, insurance policies and deeds; cell phone with charger; family and emergency contact information; extra cash; baby supplies; pet supplies; tools and supplies for securing your home; sand, rock salt or non-clumping kitty litter for walkways and steps; warm coats, gloves, mittens, hats, boots and extra blankets; and alternate heating methods such as fireplaces or wood- or coal-burning stoves.

Duke Energy

English: 1-800-POWERON (1-800-769-3766)

Spanish: 1-866-4APAGON (1-866-427-2466)

Laurens Electric Co-op

1-866-9 RESTORE

See the article here:
Winter storm preparedness at a glance

Over the last few weeks, mail carriers have swaddled themselves in layers, clutched hand-warmers and donned boots with at least 2 inches of tread.

They have walked flat-footed on the snow and ice, and even strapped on metal cleats.

In spite of extra precautions, local carriers have tumbled on icy sidewalks, and sprained their ankles or banged up their backs.

This winter's ongoing barrage of snow, ice and subzero temperatures has caused a range of delivery woes. Orders of pizza, flowers and subs often take longer than normal. Packages have been delayed or gone undelivered for at least a day after U.S. Postal Service carriers confronted stairways that were slicked with ice or so blanketed with snow they could not see where the first step was.

"Snow and ice make delivery dangerous and slow," Hammond Postmaster Harriett Sheppard said. "Maintaining a clear path to the mail box including steps, porches, walkways and street approach will help letter carriers maintain consistent delivery service and help them get letters and packages delivered on time."

Packages can get delayed when ice-slicked highways are shut down and lake-effect snow prompts authorities to issue emergency management orders not to drive, FedEx spokesman Scott Fielder said.

"The safety of our employees is a top priority," he said. "We have engineered processes to deliver on time, but Mother Nature is the wild card. We have 15 meteorologists working around the clock to track weather patterns across the U.S. and use the updates to build contingencies into our operations."

Brutal cold, slick ice and deep blankets of snow have made delivery more difficult this winter. But more people have been huddling inside and placing orders for delivery. Local restaurants have seen a boost in deliveries and have even had to put extra drivers on shift to keep up with demand.

The Original John's Pizzeria in Munster sees a 20 to 40 percent uptick in business whenever it snows, owner Phil Bacino said.

"It's been fantastic for business," he said. "It takes more time to make the delivery, but everyone has been real understanding and nice about it."

The rest is here:
Winter weather hampers delivery

Update, 11:45 a.m.:

The York County Office of Emergency Management is advising residents to prepare for the incoming winter storm.

Weather forecasters are predicting that York County could receive several inches of sleet/snow and significant ice accumulations Tuesday night into Wednesday. Substantial power outages are possible, the office advises.

In anticipation of winter storm, the Office of Emergency Management offers the following preparedness tips:

1. Residents should maintain an emergency kit in their homes to ensure they have adequate supplies if unable to leave their homes. Such kits should minimally include: A supply of drinking water, non-perishable food, non-electric can opener, first-aid kit, radio, flashlight, personal health needs and extra batteries.

2. Have the phone number to your electricity provider available. Residents should not call 911 to report power outages unless the outage poses a threat to safety or property. Instead, residents should call their electricity provider (numbers listed below).

3. Residents should have on hand an adequate supply of rock salt or alternate product to melt ice on walkways, as well as snow shovels and other snow/ice removal equipment.

4. Clear fire hydrants near your home or business from snow so they are readily accessible to fire departments.

5. Ensure that generators are prepared and ready to safely use pursuant to manufacturer instructions. Never use a generator indoors or near windows or doors. Call an electrician if needed to help with installation, maintenance or preparation.

6. Take the necessary steps to prepare alternate sources of heat (e.g. kerosene heaters, wood stoves, etc.) if residents plan to use them during a power outage. Follow manufacturer instructions and ensure an adequate supply of fuel.

See original here:
7 winter storm safety tips for the Hanover-Adams area

It's been a tough winter to stay upright.

Unusually low temperatures for extended periods of time combined with scattered snowfall have created icy conditions throughout northwestern Pennsylvania.

Local physicians have treated patients this winter with head injuries and broken hips, ankles and wrists from weather-related slips and falls. Nearly 700,000 Americans 65 and older are hospitalized each year due to fall injuries, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We've seen a lot of people fall," said Douglas Fronzaglia, D.O., a physician with the LECOM Institute for Successful Aging. "When it's this cold, the snowmelt and salt you use to clear walkways doesn't work. You have a lot of slippery surfaces."

Icy sidewalks, driveways, stairs and parking lots are especially troublesome for the elderly, who are more likely to break or fracture a bone when they fall due to osteoporosis, a weakening of their bones.

People with osteoporosis can take calcium and vitamin D supplements to strengthen their bones, but the key to reducing injuries is to prevent the slips and falls, Fronzaglia said.

"It's a complex problem with several causes," Fronzaglia said. "Your risk of falling increases as you age. You get weaker, you start having balance issues, mobility issues, and even eyesight and memory issues."

For example, an older person might forget to wear his or her eyeglasses when heading outside and are unable to tell the difference between a snow-covered walkway and one that is ice-covered.

You can reduce someone's risk of falling by following these steps:

Limiting a person's exposure to icy conditions. It can be as simple as keeping an elderly person's steps and walkways clear of snow and ice, Fronzaglia said.

Read more here:
Minimize risk of outdoor slip-and-fall injuries

Published: Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, 9:00p.m. Updated 7 hours ago

The Dawson Volunteer Fire Co. will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. tonight. All members are urged to attend. Keep in mind that membership dues for the current year are now due and payable.

Dawson Borough Council will hold its regular monthly meeting at 6 p.m. Feb. 10. All borough residents are welcome to attend.

A benefit dinner and Chinese auction to benefit the family of William Billy Little IV, which recently experienced a family tragedy, will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Morrell Volunteer Fire Department's fire hall (social hall) off Route 119 by the Comet Drive In. There will be a buffet-style dinner. Dinner cost for adults is $8, for children ages 6-12, $5, and children age 5 and younger, $2. There will be a D.J., Chinese auction and 50/50 drawing. The fire company is collecting donations. Food items needed for the benefit are baked goods, such as cakes, cookies, cupcakes, etc; beverages, cases or two liters of pop or water or hug jugs for children, etc.; paper products, cups, plates, bowls, silverware, take-out containers and napkins; and items for the Chinese auction baskets, such as gift cards, etc. Letterhead is available for anyone that needs it; see Misty Huffine on Facebook or call 724-963-0211 or call Lori Hodge at 724-640-7818.

Deadline to send photos for the Tri-Town Lower Tyrone Township and Connellsville DVD coming out in June is March 1. Please send you pictures to Ron Enos, 10912 Hamilton Drive, Downs Court, Jacksonville, FL 32257.

Food bank distribution dates for February are as follows:

East Liberty Presbyterian Church of Vanderbilt from 10 a.m. until noon Feb. 13.

Produce for the People, Fayette County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. until noon Feb. 13.

Leisenring Presbyterian Church, Leisenring from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Feb. 19.

Please remember to bring a box, basket or crate to carry your items home in and keep in mind that donations and volunteers are always needed and appreciated.

See the original post here:
Dawson VFC to meet Monday