Droughts are brought on by periods of reduced rainfall and sometimes accompanied with extreme heat. Extreme heat is a period of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90 degrees for more than 2 to 3 days. This can lead to health concerns for some people whose bodies have to work extra hard to maintain a normal temperature and can lead to death. Here are some steps you can take to stay cool:

• Recognize signs of heat illness
• Hydrate with fluids
• Insulate your home with cooling techniques such as weather strip your doors, cover windows with drapes, or use window reflectors to reflect heat back outside
• Wear loose and lightweight clothing
• Check on family members, older adults, and neighbors

 

Flooding is the most common disaster and can result from rain, snow, storm surges, as well as other water systems. It can come with no warning, develop slowly or quickly, cause outages, damage buildings and homes, and create landslides. Here are some key things to remember:

• Stay current to weather information
• Turn Around, Don't Drown
• Move to higher ground and evacuate if told to do so
• Stay off bridges over fast moving water

There are some flood mitigation steps you can take to protect and minimize damage to your home. See below for simple steps to take:

• Know your risk; see where your home is located on the flood map: Town of Superior's FEMA Flood Map
• Get flood insurance
• Reduce your risk by doing flood mitigation practices around your home.

Explore here for more information on specific mitigation projects for the home.

Red Flag Warnings are forecasts that involve warm temperatures, how humidity in dried fuel moistures, and strong winds that lead to increased risk of fire danger. Red flag warnings give us the opportunity to enhance our awareness around conditions of our environment and weather. Click here to stay updated for current Red Flag warnings daily. 

Boulder County Office of Disaster Management (ODM) has integrated safety precautions in action for high wind events such as; 

• Fire and smoke detection cameras are in place to help support first responders in keeping situational awareness related to monitoring fire speed, growth, and direction of spread
• Indices-based dispatching allows fire fighters to get fires under control faster by sending more personnel and fire trucks to the scene
• Alert and warning for first responders who arrive on the scene first to send out emergency alerts and evacuation orders
• Evacuation planning is coordinated effectively in managing traffic

Red Flag warnings and wildfires can affect air quality which can contain harmful substances. Current reports of Air quality indicates if the air is suitable or clean enough for us and our environment. Taking steps to protect your health is critical dependent on our environment, weather, hazards, and air quality. These guidelines provide essential information in protecting your health:

• Pay attention to local air quality reports
• Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut- run the air conditioning on recirculate setting or use a portable HEPA air cleaner
• Don't exercise outdoors and reduce your time outside to 30 mins
• If you have to go outside, wear a N95 mask

For more information, visit Daily Update of Air Quality

Visit Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment's Wildfire Smoke Preparedness Program for webinars covering basics of: 

• Wildfire smoke impacts on indoor air quality and human health
• Preparing community and school buildings to mitigate wildfire smoke exposures
• Implementing effective buildings management practices
• Cleaner Air Center planning and implementation

 

Safety in public places pertains to any type of threat to the public and encourages the prevention and protection from events that can endanger the safety of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. Following these steps could be beneficial for you and your community:

• Stay alert- Recognize suspicious activity
• If you see something, say something
• Observe warning signs and have an exit plan: Run, Hide, Fight
• Learn lifesaving skills such as CPR or first aid

For more information, visit FEMA Guidelines on Safety in Public Places

 

Thunder and lightning can be caused by severe storms that can bring intense wind, flash flooding, and hail. To prepare for severe storms, it is advised to take these steps to stay safe:

• When thunder roars, go indoors
• Listen to weather updates
• Stay away from electronic devices that are plugged in
• Avoid running water
• Avoid driving through flooded roadways

 

Tornadoes bring intense winds of over 200 miles per hour, look like funnels, and can happen anytime and anywhere. They are dangerous as they can destroy buildings, flip cars, create deadly flying debris, and deconstruct power lines. These guidelines can help yourself stay safe in a tornado disaster:

• Listen to local emergency and weather information for area of tornado risk
• Seek safe shelter if told to do so
• Stay away from windows, doors and outside walls
• Find a low and flat location, not under a bridge or overpass
• Watch out for flying debris and use your arms to protect your head and neck

Wildfires can happen anywhere and are unplanned that burn in natural areas such as forests, grasslands, and prairies. They spread quickly and intensely, cause health issues, and not only devastate wildlife and natural areas but communities. These guidelines will help you learn to prepare and stay safe during a wildfire:

• Stay current with alerts
• Evacuate early if need to do so
• You may not always receive an alert, so use situational awareness
• Wear masks to protect from smoke inhalation

There are some wildfire mitigation steps you can take to protect and minimize damage to your home. See below for simple steps to take: 

• Home assessments
• Home hardening
• Creation of defensible space
• Fire resistant landscaping

Check out resources below for best practices of wildfire mitigation for your home. 

• Wildfire Partners Home Assessment
• Colorado State Forest Service- Protect Your Home
• Overall Home Mitigation
• Fire Resistant Landscaping
• Low-Flammability Landscape Plants

Winter storms bring winter weather that can last hours or several days. They create a higher risk of car accidents, hypothermia, frostbite, carbon monoxide poisoning, and heart attacks from overexertion. The conditions of winter storms can bring extreme cold, freezing rain, snow, ice and high winds. This can lead to power and heat outages, as well as communication services. If under a winter storm warning:

• Find shelter right away
• Prepare your home with insulation to keep the cold out
• Have supplies