Survival Medicine

This week, Winter Storm Gia, they’ve been naming them for a few years now, will spread a swath of snow and ice from parts of the Rockies, Plains and Midwest to the mid-Atlantic into this weekend, hopefully not causing more than a few travel delays. Yeah, I know, winter storms occur every year in the United States, but if you don’t take them seriously, they can cause fatalities among the unprepared. And, sadly, that’s just what they do. 70% of deaths in blizzard conditions occur due to traffic accidents and 25% from hypothermia, sometimes called exposure, from being caught outside or even inside without a heat source. With Gia’s strong winds, trees and power lines burdened with heavy snowfall may topple, causing additional hazards. If a blizzard knocks the power out, but you’re still in your home (a great place to be), you’re gonna want a strategy, a plan of action. Joe and Amy Alton, aka Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy, tell you what you need to know. Hypothermia and other cold-related issues must be identified an