Local officials share safety advice ahead of bitter cold temps

Bitter cold temperatures will be with us for the next several days and local officials are advising folks to be prepared.

Riley County Emergency Management Assistant Director Laurie Harrison spoke at Thursday’s commission meeting.

“If you need to get out and get groceries, get fuel in your vehicles, check on your elderly neighbors or those who can’t get out, see what assistance you can be to them to help them get through the weekend,” she said.

Bluestem Electric Cooperative General Manager Mike Morton encourages people to have a safety plan and be aware of just how cold it will be.

“We are not anticipating any problems, so if you do lose power please give the co-op a call if you’re a member of Bluestem. If you’re not a member and your power goes out, please give your energy provider a call. Don’t assume everyone knows about it,” he said.

Morton adds that strong winds, coupled with ice or snow-packed tree limbs are typically the cause of many winter weather-related power outages.

“A lot of times that would be the major cause if you get two wires that would start galloping out there and then slap together, that can also kick a breaker out which would cause an outage,” he said.

Morton says you should also never go around a downed power line and always assume it’s hot and call your power company.

When it comes to keeping warm, local fire officials also want to ensure folks are doing so safely.

“We encourage people to never use anything like a charcoal grill, propane grill, a generator inside. Anything that is designed to be used outside needs to be kept outside and as far away from the house as possible,” said Manhattan Fire Department Captain Dan Newton.

If there is anything to put a freeze on it’s winter fires. Space heaters are often a common contributor to house fires. Newton says they should always be used appropriately.

“Space heaters can be used in a safe manner. Those should be plugged in directly to an outlet, not using an extension cord. You should never plug more than one heating device into the same circuit. Keep all combustible things away from not only space heaters, but also fireplaces, wood burning stoves, even your furnace,” he said.

Newton encourages residents to have carbon monoxide detectors in the home and to never warm a vehicle up inside the garage.

Outdoor animals and livestock should also be checked on to ensure they have adequate shelter, food and fresh water.

Pottawatomie County officials are also bracing for the frigid wind chills.

Residents are being encouraged to contact the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office dispatch at 785-457-3353 for information about warming center locations near them to be opened as needed during the Wind Chill Watch period, in effect Friday evening through noon Tuesday. No warming centers have been opened as of yet.

Pottawatomie County Emergency Management will work with area agencies to establish a warming shelter as needed if there are any severe power outages for an extended period of time. Further details will be pushed out through Everbridge notifications, social media and to news outlets like KMAN.