Purdue Extension Service
Purdue Extension Service
Vanderburgh County, Indiana
Subject: HORT ALERT: Winter Storm Damage
Importance: High
1/29/2009
Dear Friends,
I’m not sure how many of you will get this. I am one of the many people still without power at home, so I can see this warning not getting out to many of you in time. Still, if you have power and receive this message, please share the information with friends and family that may not have electricity or e-mail service.
First: here is a link to the Extension Disaster and Emergency Management website, specifically, the winter storm page: http://www.ces.purdue.edu/eden/disastertopics/winterstorms/index.html . There are links to all sorts of information, including horticultural (ice and trees, etc.) as well as home (dealing without electricity, etc.).
There are emergency shelters set up in many of our communities for people without power or heat. There’s an article on WFIE’s website listing these: http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=9743800&nav=menu54_2 . In Evansville, the American Red Cross on Stockwell Road (just off the Lloyd Expressway) is set up to welcome families:
Red Cross workers are welcoming families to our shelter at 29 S. Stockwell Road.
Residents will be served lunch, have a warm place to stay, shower facilities and access to television and entertainment.
Any residents needing shelter should bring a pillow, blanket and any medication that is needed. Red Cross will also open a shelter at the Vanderburgh County 4-H Center Auditorium at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
For more information on the shelter call 471-7200.
The Red Cross Chapter in Henderson, KY is opening a shelter at 10:30 pm for residents without power.
The shelter is opening at the Housing Authority on 111 South Adams Street.
At the request of the Hopkins County Emergency Management Office, the Red Cross will open a shelter for those people who may lose heat in their homes due to power outages.
Persons needing shelter for the evening should report to First United Methodist Church, 200 East Center St., Madisonville.
You are encouraged to bring your medications, personal hygiene supplies and a pillow and blanket.
There will be no provision available for pets.
If you are without power, one of the things you need to think about is keeping your refrigerated food safe. The USDA has a good article on this that we are referring callers to: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/Keeping_Food_Safe_During_an_Emergency/index.asp
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has an article on the hazards of portable generators: http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/portgen.pdf . Carbon Monoxide poisoning is a serious risk, as is setting fire to your home.
Ice-covered trees are a big problem with this storm. Some general tips:
1. Stay away from downed power lines!!! If you have a damaged tree tangled in power lines, do not attempt to prune it or otherwise clean it up!!! Wait for the power company to get to it. There is no way to know, short of grabbing it and dying, if the power line is charged or not.
2. Be extremely careful with branch cleanup. Completely downed limbs can be cut and moved off of roads and driveways. If the branch is broken but not completely down, be super careful! The vibrations of you cutting off that limb could be enough to shake down another damaged, ice-covered limb.
Also, I’ve seen some bent limbs that aren’t quite broken, but are blocking roads. Be aware that there is tremendous tension on these bent limbs. Cutting into them can cause the branch to spring up/back, causing injury to any human flesh in the way. Think of what happens if you were to start sawing into an archery bow....
3. Don’t try to shake or hit the ice off of your trees and shrubs. The most likely outcome is the branch will snap. If you don’t snap the limb, you may still be doing damage to the cambium and sapwood directly under the bark.
As often as I can get to my office (and electricity), I’ll keep in touch with you on any developments through Hort Alert e-mails. I’m going to be hard to reach by phone or e-mail for the next few days, but my office is open and taking messages, and I’ll eventually get back online to check my e-mail. Please keep warm and safe, and remember, the Purdue Extension Service is here to help.