With winter in full swing and the cold weather upon us Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Kempf says being prepared can really help us. “When you are out on the road you need to make sure you have extra coats, hats, gloves, blankets and food in the car for emergency situations.”

He adds that when the conditions get bitter, frostbite and hypothermia can occur.

“Frostbite is the actual damage that happens to our body tissues, caused by the extreme cold.”

The first place you will get frostbite is on your extremities like your fingers or toes. Kempf goes on to say that hypothermia occurs when your body temperature goes below its regular 98.9 degrees. If your body temperature gets to a low enough temperature it can cause death. Signs of hypothermia are uncontrollable shivering, numbness, and slurred speech.