{"id":17007,"date":"2026-01-20T14:47:40","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T19:47:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/?page_id=17007"},"modified":"2026-01-22T10:12:57","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T15:12:57","slug":"the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-urges-the-community-to-prepare-for-incoming-winter-storm","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-urges-the-community-to-prepare-for-incoming-winter-storm\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District Urges the Community to Prepare for Incoming Winter Storm"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>January 20, 2026<br \/>\n<strong>Media Contact:<\/strong> Dr. Zelalem Attlee, <u><a href=\"mailto:Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov\">Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>The Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District Urges the Community to Prepare for Incoming Winter Storm<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>WARRENTON, Va. \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health district is expected to be impacted by severe winter weather, to include in addition to the very cold temperatures this week, there is a high probability (60-80%) for moderate winter storm impacts over much of our area on Sunday January 25, 2026. The Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District urges you to prepare now to keep you and your family safe, warm and healthy during this storm.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As winter approaches, our top priority is keeping our community safe and informed,\u201d said Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Director J. Carr, M.D. \u201cWe urge residents to prepare early, check on neighbors, and follow weather updates closely. Our teams are ready to respond quickly to any emergencies that arise.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Before the Storm<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Before the storm arrives, the Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District urges you to take these steps:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Make sure you have an <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/severe-weather-preparedness\/preparing-your-emergency-supply-kit\/\">emergency supply kit<\/a><\/u>\u00a0on hand and keep an <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/winter-weather\/safety\/#cdc_preparedness_steps_h2-get-your-car-ready\">emergency kit for your car<\/a><\/u>.<\/li>\n<li>Organize and protect your prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, home-use medical devices, and vitamins. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about how you can create an emergency supply of medicines.<\/li>\n<li>Check your smoke and <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/environmental-health\/public-health-toxicology\/carbon-monoxide\/\">carbon monoxide<\/a><\/u><\/li>\n<li>Replenish fuel for your car and heating sources.<\/li>\n<li>Weatherproof your home by insulating exposed pipes and caulking and weather strip doors\/windows.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure you understand the <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/lwx\/warningsdefined\">warnings, watches and advisories<\/a><\/u>\u00a0and have multiple ways to receive alerts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>During\/After the Storm<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bring <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/images\/wrn\/Infographics\/2022\/winter-pets-2022.png\">your pets<\/a><\/u>\u00a0indoors and ensure they have water.<\/li>\n<li>Stay indoors and limit your exposure to the cold.<\/li>\n<li>Properly ventilate emergency heat sources.<\/li>\n<li>Keep generators outside at least 20 feet from your home.<\/li>\n<li>Check on neighbors and family.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you must go outside, take the following precautions to stay safe and prevent <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/winter-weather\/prevention\/preventing-frostbite.html\">frostbite<\/a><\/u> and <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/winter-weather\/prevention\/\">hypothermia<\/a><\/u>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Wear proper footwear for traction. Take slow, short steps.<\/li>\n<li><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/images\/ohx\/Preparedness\/Winter\/_images_wrn_social_media_cold_infographic.jpg\">Dress warmly<\/a><\/u>\u00a0and in layers. Make sure you cover your head, fingers and toes.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid getting wet and change out of wet clothes as soon as possible.<\/li>\n<li>Stay hydrated. Drink warm beverages.<\/li>\n<li>Take frequent breaks if <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/images\/ohx\/Preparedness\/Winter\/_images_wrn_Infographics_2022_Safe-Shoveling-2022.png\">shoveling<\/a><\/u> snow or <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/niosh\/cold-stress\/about\/index.html\">working outdoors<\/a><\/u>.<\/li>\n<li>Stay off the roads. If you must travel, check the road conditions and your route first. Allow extra time and follow these tips from the <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdot.virginia.gov\/travel-traffic\/driver-safety\/weather\/\">Virginia Department of Transportation<\/a><\/u>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health Department wants you to stay warm, safe and healthy! For more information, contact Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District at <u><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rrhd.org\">www.rrhd.org<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"># # #<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>January 20, 2026 Media Contact: Dr. Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov. The Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District Urges the Community to Prepare for Incoming Winter Storm WARRENTON, Va. \u2013\u00a0The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health district is expected to be impacted by severe winter weather, to include in addition to the very cold temperatures this week, there is a high probability (60-80%) for moderate [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":444,"featured_media":0,"parent":16853,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[1377,1376,1375,1450],"class_list":["post-17007","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-frostbite","tag-hypothermia","tag-winter-safety","tag-winter-weater"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District Urges the Community to Prepare for Incoming Winter Storm - Newsroom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-urges-the-community-to-prepare-for-incoming-winter-storm\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District Urges the Community to Prepare for Incoming Winter Storm - Newsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"January 20, 2026 Media Contact: Dr. Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov. 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