November 18th is Winter Awareness Day

Missouri’s Recent Winter Storms Have Been Costly

Missouri has experienced three severe winter storms since January 2008 that have knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and
businesses and caused millions of dollars in damage to private property. At the height of the power outages following the January 26-28, 2009 ice storm, 135,000 customers were without electricity. Eight people died as a result of the storm that left a layer of ice more than 2 inches thick in some parts of southern Missouri.

According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, there were 26 cold-weather related deaths during the winter of 2008-09 and 23 deaths during the winter of 2007-08. The National Weather Service, the State Emergency Management Agency and your local Emergency Management
Agency have set Wednesday, November 18, 2009, as Winter Awareness Day.

“The winter awareness campaign encourages Missourians to prepare for and protect themselves during a snow or ice storm. Cold weather puts a
strain on your heart. In the event of snow fall, citizens are urged to be careful when shoveling snow, pushing a car out of a snow bank and to generally avoid overexertion in the winter,” said SEMA Director Paul
Parmenter.

Important terms the National Weather Service uses when forecasting are
“Winter Storm Watch” and “Winter Storm Warning.”
- Winter Storm Watchindicates that severe winter weather may affect your area within 12-48 hours. -Winter Storm Warning indicates severe winter weather is in the area or expected immediately and can be life threatening.
-Ice Storm Warning is issued for ice accumulations of a quarter-inch or more.

Missourians can prepare for winter by:

-Creating a family emergency plan and creating an
emergency kit with additional water and food that can be prepared without cooking in case of a power outage.
-Securing an alternate fuel source such as firewood or a generator. Make sure your fireplace functions properly. If you have a generator, make sure you have fuel, your generator functions properly.
Only operate the generator outdoors.
-Creating a winter car kit in the trunk of the car.
This includes a blanket, spare radio with batteries, snacks or energy-type food, jumper cables, flares, shovel, sand or shingles to give tires traction.

More information can be found at the following websites:

SEMA: http://sema.dps.mo.gov/semapage.htm. Click on the 2009 Winter Awareness link.
Missouri’s Ready in 3 program: http://www.dhss.mo.gov/Ready_in_3
Missouri Dept. of Transportation’s Road Conditions:
http://www.modot.mo.gov/
National Weather Service - St. Louis Winter Campaign:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lsx/?n=winterday
NWS’s Winter Deceptive Killer Brochure:
http://www.weather.gov/os/brochures/winterstorm.pdf
FEMA’s Winter Awareness Campaign:
http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/winter.shtm

Missouri Toll-Free Number for Flu Information

Contact:
Kit Wagar
Office of Public Information
573-751-6062

New toll-free number to provide H1N1 flu and vaccine information to Missouri residents
Call 1-877-FLU-4141 for around-the-clock assistance

Missouri residents can call a new toll-free number for information about the H1N1 flu, from symptoms and basic medical advice to the availability of the new H1N1 vaccine.

The number, 1-877-FLU-4141 (1-877-358-4141), will be answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Specialists with the H1N1 InfoLine will answer questions about flu symptoms, when to seek medical care and ways to limit the spread of the flu, including the new vaccine. Medical professionals will be available to assist the specialists with callers’ questions.

The information line is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

“As we get further into flu season, we know many Missourians will have questions about the H1N1 flu,” said Margaret Donnelly, director of the state health department. “We urge Missouri residents to do everything they can to prevent the spread of the flu and keep their families healthy. The Flu InfoLine can help answer questions they might have.”

Health care professionals can also call the toll-free number for more information about the H1N1 flu and vaccine.

The state health department is encouraging Missourians to get the vaccine as it becomes available. Pregnant women, children and young adults are the most at risk of contracting the H1N1 flu, so they will be given priority to receive the vaccine first. Studies show that older people are less at risk because they appear to have some degree of resistance to the virus.

Missouri received its first shipment of aerosol mist vaccine early this month. Additional shipments of the aerosol mist and the injectable form of the vaccine began arriving from drug manufacturers this week.

The mist version of the flu vaccine can be used by healthy children and adults ages 2 through 49. Because it contains live virus, it is not appropriate for pregnant women, children under 2 years old or anyone with an underlying health condition such as asthma. Those groups should receive an H1N1 flu shot.

“Adequate supplies of the flu vaccine will be available for the high-risk groups,” Donnelly said. “As additional shipments of the vaccine arrive in Missouri, flu shots or vaccine mist should be available to everyone who wants them.”

H1N1 flu symptoms include fever, cough and sore throat. Most cases are relatively mild to moderate and do not require treatment. Most people with the H1N1 flu can recover at home. They should get plenty of fluids, take over-the-counter medication to reduce their fever and stay home and rest.

Pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions who think they might have the flu should contact their health care provider.

In addition to the vaccine, basic flu prevention practices can help control the spread of the flu:

* Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.
* Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of your elbow, not your bare hands.
* Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
* Stay home when you are sick, especially if you have a fever. Remain at home until 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medication.

For more information about the flu, go to the state health department’s Web site at www.dhss.mo.gov. To learn more about obtaining the H1N1 flu vaccine, Missourians should call their local health department.


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Note: Audio associated with this news release is available at: http://www.dhss.mo.gov/NewsAndPublicNotices/audio/h1n1_infolineaudio_10-19-09.html

Bloomfield R-14 Schools Prepare for the Flu

We hope no one in our community has to suffer with the flu this year, but there is a high probability the flu will somehow make its way into our homes -- and into our schools.

Bloomfield R-14 Schools is blessed to have Ms. Vicki Williams, RN as our school nurse. She diligently watches over our Health Plan, has developed our Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Plan and maintains a close relationship with the Stoddard County Health Department. We are confident our students and staff will continue to receive effective health services.

Additionally, it is important that each family in our community have access to as much information regarding the flu and other health issues as possible. As we continue to monitor the flu probabilities in our district, we use the following web site as one of the primary sources of information:

http://www.dhss.mo.gov/BT_Response/_Schools.html

Once at that site, you can click on the following link:

CDC Guidance for State and Local Public Health Officials and School Administrators

This will provide a number of information sources valuable in keeping your family healthy. We will continue to monitor this site and follow the guidance presented as we are faced with decisions regarding the health and safety of our students and staff.

If you have questions or concerns about the health and safety plans of the district, please call us at 573-568-4564 or e-mail nthiele@bps14.org.