The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Cuyahoga County, from Thursday, December 22 through the weekend. The major threat from this weather event will be high winds and low wind chill temperatures as low as -20 degrees. A flash freeze will also likely occur Friday morning.

The Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has created a map detailing the known warming centers opening up across the county. This map will be updated as additional warming centers are identified.

Many Senior Centers across Cuyahoga County also function as emergency warming stations for our older adult population during extreme weather events. You can view of list of these locations here. Please contact the center in advance as hours vary.

OEM recommends the following to stay safe against the impending winter weather:

• Limit the amount of time spent outdoors.
• Dress appropriately, making sure to cover all exposed skin. If you must go outside, wear several layers of loose fitting, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. Outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent. Always wear a hat and cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.
• Be especially careful when operating portable heaters.
• Check on neighbors, friends, and family members who may be especially vulnerable to the cold temperatures due to illness, age, or other condition.
• If it’s too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for your pets, so keep your animals inside.
• Watch for signs of frostbite. These include loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, ears and the tip of the nose. If symptoms are present, get medical help immediately.
• Watch for signs of hypothermia. These include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion. If symptoms of hypothermia are detected, get the victim to a warm location, remove wet clothing, warm the center of the body first, and give warm, non-alcoholic beverages if the victim is conscious. Get medical help as soon as possible.

For additional information on how to keep you and your family safe during severe weather, visit: https://www.cuyahogacounty.us/ready.