Hazardous winter weather impacts

[JAN. 20, 2007]  From the National Weather Service, Lincoln:

• On average, 44 people in the United States lose their lives each year due to winter storms. This ranks No. 4 on the list of storm-related fatalities, behind flooding, at 84; tornadoes, 57; and lightning, 49.

• Bitterly cold weather has annually resulted in 24 fatalities, on average, in the United States.

• About 70 percent of the people who are killed or injured due to winter storms are in automobiles. About 25 percent of the people who are killed or injured in winter storms are caught out in the storm with no place to take shelter.

• Many deaths and injuries are indirectly related to winter weather occurrences that are not classified as winter storms. These include:

1. Traffic accidents on hazardous roads

2. Heart attacks from shoveling snow or other outdoor activities

3. Hypothermia from prolonged exposure to cold

4. Frostbite

5. Avalanches

[Provided by Chris Miller, National Weather Service, Lincoln]