{"id":17191,"date":"2026-01-28T13:21:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T18:21:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/?page_id=17191"},"modified":"2026-01-28T13:21:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T18:21:21","slug":"the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-offers-safety-tips-to-stay-warm-during-extreme-cold","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-offers-safety-tips-to-stay-warm-during-extreme-cold\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Offers Safety Tips to Stay Warm During Extreme Cold"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>January 28, 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 Health District Offers Safety Tips to Stay Warm During Extreme Cold<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>WARRENTON, Va. \u2013 As the Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District continues to see dangerously cold temperatures, hypothermia and frostbite are real concerns. The Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District urges you to take steps to keep you and your family warm, dry and healthy during this storm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExtreme cold conditions present real risks to people of all ages, especially our most vulnerable residents,\u201d said Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Director J. Carr, M.D. \u201cWe encourage everyone to plan ahead, stay informed, dress in layers, and check on neighbors and relatives. Your health and safety are our top priorities. Please take the necessary precautions to stay warm and safe during severe winter weather.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/winter-weather\/prevention\/\">Hypothermia<\/a><\/u> occurs most commonly at very cold environmental temperatures but can occur even at cool temperatures (above 40\u00b0F) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat, or submersion in cold water. Signs to look out for include shivering, exhaustion or fatigue, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and\/or drowsiness. In babies look for bright red, cold skin and very low energy.<\/p>\n<p><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/winter-weather\/prevention\/preventing-frostbite.html\">Frostbite<\/a><\/u>\u00a0is a type of injury caused by freezing. If you notice redness or pain in any skin area, get out of the cold. The skin will feel numb, unusually firm or waxy, and can also appear white or grayish yellow. If you have frostbite, you may not know until someone else points it out because the frozen parts of your body are numb.<\/p>\n<p>The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District encourages you to take these steps to prevent hypothermia, frostbite and other potential injuries.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Staying Warm<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stay indoors and limit your exposure to the cold.<\/li>\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>Eating healthy meals will help to keep your body temperature warm.<\/li>\n<li>Stay hydrated even during the cold to prevent hypothermia. Avoid alcohol and caffeine. They cause your body to lose heat faster. Drink warm beverages or broth.<\/li>\n<li>Keep extra blankets, sleeping bags, and warm winter coats on hand for use in cold rooms.<\/li>\n<li>Charge all your devices (medical equipment, phone, computer, tablet, radio, etc.).<\/li>\n<li>Check on neighbors, friends, and family.<\/li>\n<li>For a list of warming centers in your area, call 2-1-1 or visit <u><a href=\"https:\/\/211virginia.org\/\">org\/<\/a><\/u><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>If You Go Outside<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you must go outside, please take these precautions:<\/p>\n<ul>\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 to prevent frostbite.<\/li>\n<li>Be aware of the wind chill factor.<\/li>\n<li>Wear proper footwear for traction. Take slow, short steps.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid getting wet. If you get wet, change out of wet clothes as soon as possible to prevent hypothermia.<\/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>\u00a0snow or <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/niosh\/cold-stress\/about\/index.html\">working outdoors<\/a><\/u>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>If You Must Drive<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stay at home and avoid travel. If you must travel, check the road conditions and your route first.<\/li>\n<li>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<li>If you must travel, let someone know your destination and when you expect to arrive. Ask them to notify authorities if you are late.<\/li>\n<li>Always carry extra warm clothing and blankets with\u00a0you. Don&#8217;t rely on a car to provide enough heat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you have chronic conditions, please reach out to their healthcare provider to make sure together you have a care plan in place.\u00a0Organize 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.<\/p>\n<p>If you notice signs of <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/winter-weather\/prevention\/preventing-frostbite.html\">frostbite<\/a><\/u>\u00a0and <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/winter-weather\/prevention\/\">hypothermia<\/a><\/u>, seek medical attention immediately.<\/p>\n<p>If you have questions, please contact the 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<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>January 28, 2026 Media Contact: Dr. Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov. The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Offers Safety Tips to Stay Warm During Extreme Cold WARRENTON, Va. \u2013 As the Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District continues to see dangerously cold temperatures, hypothermia and frostbite are real concerns. The Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District urges you to take steps to keep you and your family [&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":"","_lmt_disable":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[1481,1480,1377,1376,1375],"class_list":["post-17191","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-cold-safety","tag-extreme-cold","tag-frostbite","tag-hypothermia","tag-winter-safety"],"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 Health District Offers Safety Tips to Stay Warm During Extreme Cold - 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-offers-safety-tips-to-stay-warm-during-extreme-cold\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Offers Safety Tips to Stay Warm During Extreme Cold - Newsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"January 28, 2026 Media Contact: Dr. Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov. 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