FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 • 1B

W H AT T O D O , W H E R E T O G O , W H E N D I S A S T E R S T R I K E S

Tennessee remained at a LevelII-State of Emergency (as ofdeadline Tuesday afternoon, Feb.24), which began at 3 p.m., CST,Saturday, Feb. 21. The originalelevation to a Level III–State ofEmergency for this winter stormwas at 9 p.m., Monday, Feb. 16.

Fog on the Cumberland Plat-eau was an impediment to manyresponse efforts there, prevent-ing Civil Air Patrol and TennesseeHighway Patrol reconnaissanceflights over the area Monday, Feb.23. The conditions also put THP’splans on hold to conduct rollingroad blocks on Interstate 40 forpower restoration missions.

West Tennessee received morewinter weather Feb. 21 with snowstarting to accumulate around 9p.m., CST. Middle Tennessee hadFlood Advisories in effect for anumber of counties, includingMontgomery, Robertson, David-son, Williamson, Hickman, Gilesand Perry. Winter WeatherAdvisories were in place forHardin, Lincoln, Moore andFranklin counties.

East Tennessee received fogovernight and Monday morning.Visibility of 1 mile or less wasreported. Driving was hazardouson local roads and highways dueto reduced visibility and blackice. Knox County Schools wereclosed all week (Feb. 16-20) andat least the first two days of thisweek (Feb. 23-24).

RESPONSE ACTIONS• The SEOC coordinated the

delivery of generators to Putnam and Cumberland counties to assist with watersystem power outages. Two generators were at the Monterery Water Plant on stand-by. Another generator is being transported from

Chattanooga to the Catoosa area of Cumberland County for the Crossville Water System.

• Chainsaw crews from the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tennessee Division of Forestry, Civil AirPatrol and Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster deployed to eight counties in the Cumberland Plateau. Chainsaw crews were out again Monday, Feb. 16, with additional teams from the Tennessee National Guard.

• The Tennessee National Guard deployed 10 units with20 personnel to the Cumberland Plateau to do wellness checks and assist local and state officials in the response.

• The Tennessee Highway Patrol deployed a strike team to White County to assist the County and has sent two troopers to OvertonCounty for traffic support.

• TEMA’s East, Middle and West Regional officescontinue to poll counties forsituational updates and to provide assistance to local EMAs and officials.

FATALITIES (Since Feb. 16, 2015)Tennessee had 30 confirmed, weather-related fatalitiesas of Feb. 24, including:• Benton County – One (1) fatality: 64-year-old female, motor vehicle accident;• Campbell County – Two (2) fatalities: 76-year-old male, weather related; 32-year-old-male, weather related;• Claiborne County – Two (2) fatalities: 63-year-old male,

Are youprepared?

weather related; 53-year-old male, weather related;• Cumberland County – One (1) fatality: 83-year-old male, carbon monoxide poisoning;• Hamilton County – One (1) fatality: 63-year-old male, hypothermia related;• Haywood County – One (1) fatality: 40-year-old female, motor vehicle accident;• Henry County – Two (2) fatalities: 64-year-old female, hypo-thermia related; 69-year-old male, hypothermia related;• Hickman County One (1) fatality: 67-year-old male, dialysis patient, unable to get to treatment;• Knox County – Four (4)fatalities: 30-year-old male,

motor vehicle accident; 75-year-old male, fire; 68-year-old female, fire; 47-year-old male, fire;• Moore County – One (1)

fatality: 73-year-old male, hypo-thermia;• Overton County – One (1) fatality: 38-year-old female, motor vehicle accident;• Polk County – One (1) fatality: 79-year-old male, weather related;• Roane County – One (1) fatality: 44-year-old male, hypo-thermia related;• Sequatchie – One (1) fatality: 85-year-old male, hypothermia related;• Sevier – Two (2) fatalities: 70-year-old female, weather related; Male (age unknown), weather related;• Shelby County – Three (3) fatalities: 48-year-old male, hypo-thermia related; Male (age unknown), hypothermia related; (Demographics unk-nown), hypo-thermia related;• Sumner County – One (1) fatality: Male, 60s, weather

related;• Wayne County – One (1) fatality: 82-year-old male, weather related;• Weakley County – One (1) fatality: 82-year-old male, hypo-thermia;• Williamson County – Two (2) fatalities: 34-year-old female, motor vehicle accident; 10-year-old male, motor vehicle accident.As of Monday, Feb. 23, there

were 698 customers withoutpower in Tennessee coveringseven counties: Bledsoe (220);Cumberland (20,000); Fentress(8,5-55); Monroe (236); Overton(1,176); Putnam (1,200) andWhite (1,311).

When disaster strikes what canpeople do and where can peoplego to survive? This guide isdesigned to help answer thosequestions and possibly provideenough information to save lives.

■ KEN LAYCorrespondent

With the recent winter stormscame the usual consequences andproblems such as school closings,event cancellations and treacher-ous driving conditions.

The ice and snow made roadsdifficult to pass and sometimesnearly impossible to navigate. Thestorm and the roads frayed thenerves of travelers and disabledits share of vehicles.

As if all the snow and iceweren’t enough, record-low tem-peratures made things worse andperhaps life-threatening for somewho found themselves stranded.

Ice, snow and bitterly coldweather can make life tough andbeing stranded along the roadsidecan definitely take its toll.

So what should someone, whofinds him or herself in an accident

on an icy road, do under dire cir-cumstances?

“I would advise people to stayhome,” Knox County Sheriff’sOffice Westside Precinct Capt.Brad Hall said. “If you have to getout, stay on the main roads likeKingston Pike, Watt Road, LovellRoad, Concord Road andCampbell Station.

“Stay away from the secondaryroads until the weather gets warmenough to melt the ice.”

Knox County’s first winter stormrolled during the early afternoon,Monday, Feb. 16, and intensifiedover the next two days. Hall noted,however, that the highly traveledroads were clear late onWednesday afternoon, Feb. 18.

“Right now, the main roads arepretty much clear,” Hall saidWednesday afternoon. “The sec-ondary roads may not be clearuntil the weather warms up

enough to melt the ice.”Hall said that motorists who

find their vehicles disabled should“call the Sheriff’s Office’s non-emergency dispatch line, 865-215-2444.

“Most people now have cellphones,” he added. “They can callour non-emergency line and telldispatch where they are. They cantell us what happened and theycan tell us if they need a wrecker.

“They can also call AAA, if theyhave AAA. We will dispatch awrecker or if the person has a pre-ferred [towing service], dispatchcan contact a company and send awrecker. If they tell us what theirpreferred service is, that willspeed up the process. If [themotorist] calls us, then we cansend an officer out to stay withthem until a wrecker arrives.”

Moneymaker’s Wrecker Serviceis one of the companies that pri-

In hazardous driving conditions you are not alone

marily serve Farragut and the sur-rounding area and the company’sowner, Robert Moneymaker, hasseen his share of frigid winterweather and provided assistanceto several stranded motorists.

“The best thing that I can tellpeople is to stay calm and call thepolice,” Moneymaker said. “Youneed to make sure that you have

See DRIVING on Page 6B

Peterson Road at Kingston Pike

New Hampshire fire personnel rescue submerged driver.

2B • FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 STATE OF EMERGENCY

Alan Sloan

Lenoir City Utilities Board Customer Service Center, 136 S. Campbell Station Road, in Farragut.

■ ALAN SLOANasloan@farragutpress.com

Lenoir City Utilities Board isgoing to put the old saying “don’tcall us, we’ll call you” into prac-tice during future power outagesfor its 64,000 residential, busi-ness and non-profit customersincluding Farragut.

With its “automated system” ofcommunication expected to beunveiled by the end of Februaryor early March, “The way we’regoing to be handling power out-ages is going to be very different.… People are going to knowinformation on a quicker basis,”M. Shannon Littleton, LCUB gen-eral manager, said.

“Our phone system is actuallygoing to be able to predict out-ages, going to call that customer,going to give them some updatedinformation periodically wherethey’re not going to have to callus. We’re going to be actively call-ing them,” Littleton added aboutthe automated system, which willbe able to send out up to threedifferent forms of communication(primarily phone, text and e-mail) to contact each customer.

“Better communication. Wecan make people more aware ofwhat’s going on, give them a bet-ter time frame. Even in a normaloutage we can inform somebody.”

For example, “If they need togo to dinner, ‘Don’t come homebecause you’re power’s out forabout two hours. Go have dinnerand then come home,’” Littletonsaid.

“The one thing we’re going tohave to have from our customersis a contact number or an e-mailaddress or text or a way to get

ahold of that customer in somemanner,” Littleton added.

To update your LCUB contactinformation, go to www.LCUB-.org/ Littleton said a card wouldbe mailed out to customers to fillout and return.

Littleton said an LCUB app forcustomers’ smartphones “so folkscan follow what’s going on”should be available sometime“later this year.”

Serving “close to a quarter mil-lion people,” Littleton said thesystem “is ready to be deployed,but we didn’t use it in this [mostrecent] storm because it was toonew and I was a little nervous todo something brand new with thisbig of an event.”

Customers could have shorterpower outages, Littleton said,because the system will creategreater efficiency in communica-tion among LCUB repair crewsand other employees.

Among LCUB electrical cus-tomers, Littleton said calling toreport that your power is out isunderstandable yet unnecessary— unless you witness a specificpower abnormality such asdowned power lines.

“It causes us to use a lot ofresources,” Littleton said aboutneeding LCUB employees toanswer customer calls when utili-ty crews already know about, andare beginning to react towardsolving, your outage issue.

Calling to report an outage“was the correct thing to do anumber of years ago,” Littletonsaid. “But now we have the tech-nology in place that we know thepower’s out. We know down to the

LCUB’s new automatedsystem calls you,

speeds communicationwith customers

■ ALAN SLOANasloan@farragutpress.com

Preparing for a long-term poweroutage, such as the Farragut andEast Tennessee areas experiencedlast week, involves knowing how toreact — and whether or not topurchase a generator.

Generators readily available arefueled by natural gas, propane andpetroleum gas-powered, the latterand cheaper portable optionallowing for plugged in heaters toperform (being sure that genera-tor is placed outside well awayfrom your home due to potentiallydeadly exhaust).

Having a generator “is a greatoption, it’s probably the best. Butit’s the most expensive. Many peo-ple can’t afford to do that,” M.Shannon Littleton, Lenoir CityUtilities Board general manager,said.

Natural gas generators tied toyour electrical panel that auto-matically come on during an elec-trical outage “are a great idea,”Bob Lambert, president ofTennessee Gas Association andgas division superintendent withEtowah Utilities in McMinnCounty, said.

However, “The big natural gasunits, they’re very pricy. … Forone to operate an entire house I’mnot a hundred percent sure, but Iwould guess at least $5,000,”Lambert added. “Our office actu-ally operates off two of them herein Etowah. They’re so quick [tokeep power going] you don’t seeklights blink hardly.”

As for cheaper options, “I knowa lot of people are getting thesmaller [portable] generators justto operate the essentials, likebeing able to plug in refrigeratorsand freezers and that kind of stuffand maybe a small heater of some kind,” Lambert said. “That

would be a gasoline or propane”generator.

Alan Lawson, director forKnoxville-Knox County Emer-gency Management Agency, saidhigh-end circuit back-up genera-tors could cost “in the 10,000 to$15,000 range to run your wholehouse just like it was normal. Youcan have a propane tank and fuelit, or if you’ve got a natural gasutility at your house, they makethem to run off that. A [natural]gas line underground is muchmore reliable.”

Because of the carbon monox-ide exhaust created wheneverusing a portable gas-powered gen-erator, “Those things need toremain outside. … They need tobe at least a pretty good distanceaway from the home, away fromwindows, away from crackeddoors,” Littleton said, otherwise“that’s going to be a fatal mistake.… Looking at what the manufac-turer tells you what to do in [theinstructions].”

Improperly connecting a gener-ator “tied back to your electricalpanel” not only can do harm tofamily members in a home, butalso could harm emergency crewswho might be working just outsideof a home or anyone near adowned power line around thathouse, Littleton added.

“Make sure they’re hooked upcorrectly, because if they don’thave the proper switching gearthey can put power back on a deador downed power line and canactually electrocute someonethat’s close to a downed line. It’svery dangerous. And the problemwith a generator, they don’t tripoff like a breaker does in an elec-trical system.”

The bottom line with installa-tion of a generator that ties intoyour electrical panel, Littletonsaid, is hire an electrician to

See LCUB on Page 6B

Generators overcome power outagePortable propane powered generator

Portable gaspowered generator

install it.For more information, call

LCUB at 865-986-6591. Littleton said LCUB targets

nursing homes and assisted livinghomes, with a high elderly popula-tion, and specific homes wherethe utility has documented atleast one resident with a chronichealth issue as priorities when itcomes to restoring power.

As opposed to waiting until apower outage happens, customerswith chronic health issues or car-ing for someone with chronichealth issues in an LCUB-poweredhome are encouraged to “call inand let us get you flagged into oursystem,” Littleton said.

“If you’ve got a true medicalemergency you need to try and geta hold of us, as a result of powerbeing is out, and let us know,”Littleton added. “… To get aquicker response to that home if

See GENERATORS on Page 4B

For Assistance after hours, please call 986-6591136 N. Campbell Station Road, Farragut

501 N. Cedar Bluff Road, Knoxville | 206 Depot Street, Lenoir City

WWW.LCUB.COM

Emergency Extension Numbers1502 - To report power outage 1739 - Electrical Safety Tips

To Connect or Disconnect Service1500 - To establish electric service1500 - To disconnect electric service

Payment Options1501 - Equal Monthly Payment Plan1501 - Electronic Funds Transfer Plan1747 - Contributions to

Neighboraide Program

Credit Card PaymentsA convenience fee will be assessed.1-866-268-3173

Public Relations1716 - Community Involvement

Billing Information1501 - Bill questions1505 - Concerns about Cut-off notice1731 - Meter Reading accuracy

986-6591For Your convenience

Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm

FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 • 3BSTATE OF EMERGENCY

Winter storms and cold tem-peratures can be hazardous, butif you plan ahead, you can staysafe and healthy. Prepare yourhome and cars. Prepare forpower outages and outdoor activ-ity. Check on the older adults.

Although winter comes as nosurprise, many of us are notready for its arrival. If you areprepared for the hazards of win-ter, you will be more likely tostay safe and healthy when tem-peratures start to fall.

Take these steps for yourhome. Many people prefer toremain indoors in the winter,but staying inside is no guaran-tee of safety. Take these stepsto keep your home safe andwarm during the wintermonths.

Winterize your home.Install weather stripping, insulation, and storm win-

dows.Insulate water lines that run along exterior walls.Clean out gutters and repair roof leaks.Check your heating systems.Have your heating system serviced professionally to make sure that it is clean, working properly and ventilated to the outside.Inspect and clean fireplaces and chimneys.Install a smoke detector. Test batteries monthly.Have a safe alternate heating source and alternate fuels available.Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) emergencies.Install a CO detector to alert you of the presence of the

deadly, odorless, colorless gas. Check batteries regularly.Learn symptoms of CO poisoning: headaches, nausea, and disorientation.Wear appropriate outdoor clothing: layers of light, warm clothing; mittens; hats; scarves; and waterproof boots.Don’t forget to prepare your carGet your car ready for cold weather use before winter arrives.Service the radiator and maintain antifreeze level; check tire tread or, if necessary, replace tires with all-weather or snow tires.Keep gas tank full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines.Use a wintertime formula in your windshield washer.Prepare a winter emergency kit to keep in your car in case you become stranded. Include:blankets; food and water;booster cables, flares, tire pump, and a bag of sand or cat litter (for traction);compass and maps;flashlight, battery-powered radio, and extra batteries;first-aid kit; and plastic bags (for sanitation).When planning travel, be aware of current and forecast weather conditions.Equip in advance for emergenciesBe prepared for weather-related emergencies, including power outages.Stock food that needs no cooking or refrigeration and water stored in clean containers.

Be prepared to stay safe and healthy in winter

■ TAMMY CHEEKtcheek@farragutpress.com

With this week’s single-digittemperatures in the Farragut area,Knox County Health Departmentadvises the public to take precau-tions and pay special attention tothe elderly, young children andthose with chronic conditions.

“With overnight lows expectedto drop into the single digits, theKnox County Health Department isencouraging everyone to pay spe-cial attention to vulnerable popu-lations, including young children,the elderly and those with chronicconditions,” Katharine Killen,spokeswoman for KCHD, said.

Tennessee Emergency Mana-gement Agency reported at 1 p.m.,Friday, Feb. 20, it had confirmed17 weather-related fatalities sinceMonday, Feb. 16. Of those, sevenwere hypothermia-related.

One of those deaths occurred inRoane County, another inHamilton County, two in HenryCounty, one in Sequatchie County,one in Moore County and one inShelby County.

Another death was a 67-year-oldmale dialysis patient who wasunable to get treatment, anotherwas fire-related and the rest of the11 deaths were due to traffic acci-

dents, according to TEMA. “Although anyone can suffer

cold-related health effects, someare at a greater risk,” Killen said.“Respiratory conditions, such asasthma and chronic obstructivepulmonary disease, can be aggra-vated by cold temperatures, caus-ing wheezing and difficulty breath-ing.

“Drops in barometric pressurecan cause joint inflammation orpain for those with arthritis,” shesaid. “Exposure to cold weathercan also cause blood vessels toconstrict, which can result inissues for those with heart condi-tions. In addition, infants and theelderly are at greater risk forhypothermia.”

“Hypothermia is a medicalemergency that occurs when yourbody loses heat faster than it canproduce heat, causing a danger-ously low body temperature,” Dr.Kip Wenger, physician with TheUniversity of Tennessee MedicalCenter Emergency Medicine, said.

While normal body temperatureis around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit,Wenger said hypothermia occursas the body temperature fallsbelow 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Cold winter temperatures candramatically affect the health ofat-risk groups, so we’re encourag-

ing everyone to pay special atten-tion to them over the next fewdays,” Dr. Martha Buchanan,KCHD director, said. “This is espe-cially important since we’re alsoexperiencing an active flu and coldseason, which is often hardest onthese same at-risk populations.”

Killen advised people should:• Avoid going outdoors. “If you

must go outside, wear warm layersand limit exposure to the cold,”she said.

• Drink plenty of warm fluids.Killen said if a person has anydietary restrictions to check withhis or her doctor.

• Watch for warning signs ofcold-related illnesses, such ashypothermia or frostbite, which,Wenger said, is an injury caused byfreezing of the skin and underlyingtissues.

Wenger advised people to dressappropriately and limit exposureto the cold to avoid both hypother-mia and frostbite.

“Dress in layers, wear a hat andgloves and use insulated, wind-proof jackets,” he said. “If yourpower goes out, in addition todressing appropriately, utilizing afireplace or, in some cases, seekingan emergency shelter, may be thebest option in times of extendedpower outages.”

Wenger advised parents to payclose attention to children playingoutdoors.

“Require them to come insidefrequently to get warm again,” hesaid. “If you know an elderly per-son, offer them help and check onthem frequently through the day.”

Wenger said hypothermia ismore common in below-freezingtemperatures, but it can occurwhenever there are cold tempera-tures.

“Prevention is the most impor-tant factor for avoiding hypother-mia,” he said. “When in doubt, pre-pare for the worst.

“Hypothermia and frostbite aretreated by slowly bringing thebody’s temperature to a normaltemperature,” he said. “Warmblankets, warm air and in severecases, warm fluids, can be admin-istered through an intravenousinfusion.”

Wenger said shivering is themost common sign of hypothermiafor which to look.

“As hypothermia progresses,shivering stops,” he said. “If youbegin to shiver, you should removeyourself from the cold and begin tore-warm as soon as possible.”

Killen said other symptoms of

Avoid frostbite, hypothermia this winter

See AVOID on Page 4B

#knoxwxkeeps

residentsinformed

■ ALAN SLOANasloan@farragutpress.com

With no thought of profiting yetresponding to a need to streamlinethe communication of various gov-ernment and news agencies intoone Twitter location, especiallyuseful for ordinary citizens intimes of emergencies, DanAndrews of Concord has steppedforward.

Long power outages plus icy anddebris-filled roads due to severeweather conditions, which theFarragut and East Tennessee areaexperienced the last two weeks,have made #knoxwx all the morepractical, Andrews, a Knox Countyjournalist whose hobbies includemeteorology, said.

“There’s so much information intimes of a storm and times of a badweather element, this allows gov-ernment officials and the public tostreamline exactly what they’relooking for,” Andrews said aboutthe hashtag “I created about a yearago” where everyone can shareand learn about what’s going onfree of charge, which is especiallyuseful when thousands of homesare without power.

“What makes this program soeffective is people in Knox Countycan go to the hashtag and get real-time feedback from their govern-ment officials about power out-ages, road closures and things ofthat nature,” Andrews added. “Thepublic is encouraged to getinvolved because wires are down,roads are slippery. They can alerteverybody in the community. Theycan also show photos and see snowtotals in real time.”

Based on information found at#knoxwx from various KnoxCounty agencies and City ofKnoxville, news organizations andcitizens passing on eyewitnessinformation when tested in lastweek’s weather challenge, “It

See #KNOXWX on Page 5B

Ensure that your cell phone is fully charged.When planning travel, be aware of current and forecast weather conditions.Keep an up-to-date emergency

See PREPARED on Page 6B

4B • FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 STATE OF EMERGENCY

there’s a need for oxygen,” forexample.

Calling 9-1-1 about power out-ages short of having an actualhealth emergency or pending dan-gerous situation “does get over-whelming” for the system, Lawsonsaid.

Of the roughly 8,000 LCUB cus-tomers without power during lastweek’s storm, at least a few hun-dred were without power for atleast three days starting soon afterthe storm hit the Knox Countymetropolitan area around noonMonday, Feb. 16, Littleton said.

“Tuesday morning we weretelling [customers] it could beThursday, Friday morning beforewe get your power on so they couldmake that type of decision,”Littleton added. “I didn’t want tounderestimate, so to speak, andthey sit there in a house for twodays in a very cold house.

“It’s very difficult to give a defin-itive time when power will berestored.

“It becomes so overwhelmingwhen you have literally hundreds,if not thousands of trees that arejust falling across power lines. It’sa very slow process to get thosetrees cleared and get those powerlines back up and repaired.”

hypothermia in adults includeexhaustion, confusion, fumblinghands, memory loss, slurredspeech and drowsiness.

“If you begin to experience anyof these symptoms, you should getout of the cold immediately andbegin to re-warm,” Wenger said. “Ifyou’re at home alone, you shouldtry calling a neighbor for help. Ifnecessary, call 911 for help.”

If someone sees someone elseexperiencing symptoms, he saidhelp should be offered immediately.

“Death can occur if hypother-mia is not treated, and you couldlose the areas affected by frost-bite” if not treated, Wenger said.

Killen said symptoms of hypother-mia in infants include cold skin turn-ing bright red and very low energy.

“We see a few cases of hypother-mia in the cold winter months, butfrostbite is uncommon in theSouthern climate areas,” Wengersaid.

Killen said early symptoms offrostbite include red, painful skin.Later, she said someone with frost-bite will have yellow or pale skinand skin will feel waxy, firm andnumb.

“With frostbite, feelings of coldand firmness in the affected area,such as the fingers or toes, arecommon,” Wenger said. “Stinging,burning and numbness also may

occur. You may experience pain,throbbing, burning or an electriccurrent-like sensation when theaffected area is re-warmed.”

Another concern during winterweather is carbon monoxide poi-soning, possibly from heaters andother sources. She said symptomsinclude headache, dizziness,weakness, nausea, vomiting, chestpain and confusion.

“If CO poisoning, frostbite orhypothermia are suspected, con-sult a health care professionalimmediately,” Killen said.

To reduce risk of CO poisoning,she advised:

• Making sure indoor heatersare safe and appropriate for yourspace, following instructions prop-erly and keeping them away fromflammable materials.

• Checking batteries in smokedetectors and carbon monoxidedetectors and testing thosedevices to ensure they are workingproperly.

• Never using a gas range oroven to heat a home.

• Not leaving a parked vehicleon in an enclosed or partiallyenclosed space, such as a garage.

• Never running a motor vehi-cle, generator or any gasoline-pow-ered engine outside an open win-dow, door or vent, where exhaustcan vent into an enclosed area.

• Not running a generator or anygasoline-powered engine indoors,even if the doors or windows are

AvoidFrom page 3B

GeneratorsFrom page 2B

Photo submitted

The American Red Cross provides preparedness apps for peo-ple’s smartphones so they can be prepared for disasters.

■ TAMMY CHEEKtcheek@farragutpress.com

The best way to survive a winterstorm is to be prepared, MichaelClemmons, disaster programmanager with American RedCross in Knoxville, said.

“People need to be thinkingabout disaster before it ever hap-pens,” Clemmons said. “Having apreparedness plan is one of themost important things to havebefore a disaster happens so theycan plan how they are going toreact when a disaster occurs,” hesaid.

People should have extra sup-plies in the house, he said. Forinstance, Clemmons said peopleshould have flashlights with extrabatteries, extra gallons of water, aweek’s worth of nonperishablefood that doesn’t have to becooked, extra blankets and safeheating methods, such as fireplaces and alternate heaters, tak-ing care to use them safely.

“And, never run generatorsindoors because it generatesexhaust, which generates carbonmonoxide, and you can die fromcarbon monoxide poisoning,”Clemmons said.

“Always put generators out-side,” he said.

“You can always look up our listof recommended supplies whenpreparing for a long-term stay inyour home,” he said. “A good

place to get the list with the RedCross is you can go theredcross.org.

“The Red Cross also has pre-paredness apps for smartphones,and they are free of charge,” hesaid. “[People] enable the loca-tion on their smartphone. Theyneed to go to the Play Store ontheir phone, type in Red Crossand 12 different applications willshow up. They can download anyof them or all of them for free.”

If the power is out and peopleneed assistance, he recommend-ed using the media — a battery-operated radio or smart phone —to locate available resources inthe community such as theAmerican Red Cross or otheragencies.

“A lot of times we will call thelocal emergency services, andthey will provide the requestedemergency transportation,” hesaid. “Residents can call emer-gency services directly as well.”

The American Red Cross, whichserves 13 counties, does not haveshelter locations in Farragut,although it does have three shel-ters available in the immediatearea for the Knox, Blount andRoane counties who have emer-gency need at this time,Clemmons said.

“[The counties in need] have todo with the populations affectedby the power outages and thepower system being able to get

that back on in a timely fashion,”he said.

When a person goes to a shelter,Clemmons said he or she wouldneed to bring toiletries, changesof clothing, any medications andcommunication devices, such ascellular phones, so they can con-tact family members.

For those with pets, Clemmonssaid, “In some situations, we cansometimes accommodate pets ifthey shelter partners allow them.”

If pets are not allowed, he saidthere are sometimes agreementswith animal shelters.

“That varies from area to area,”he said. “And, there are privateorganizations that will help withthat sometimes, but that dependson where it is. That doesn’t existin every county.”

Clemmons said Knox CountyRed Cross probably shelteredabout 60 people during the winterstorm.

“That’s across four counties,”he added. “We hope to close theRoane County shelter today[Friday, Feb. 20] if our plansallow us to.”

Cleemons said he did not have abreakdown of where those peopleresided.

To get other preparedness information go to redcross.com/The Red Cross also offers pre-paredness classes.

Disasters happen,have a plan

Photo submitted

Dr. Kip Wenger, right, an emergency medicine physician at TheUniversity of Tennessee Medical Center, instructs AlexanderDawson, a medical student from UT Health Science Center, aboutEmergency Department patient care.

open. That includes garages, base-ments or attics.

Falling is another cold-weatherconcern.

To avoid falls, Wenger advisedavoiding icy spots and wearingappropriate winter footwear.

“Try to avoid icy areas at allcosts,” he said. “If using stairs,hold on to a handle.”

If a person is alone or stranded,Wenger said preparation is thebest way to minimize bad situa-

tions. “Ensuring you have a charged

and working cell phone, full tankof gas, extra warm clothes andsome food in your car will reduceyour risks of getting into a not-so-good situation,” he said.

Other safety precautionsinclude bringing pets indoors, ifpossible, or ensuring adequateshelter and bedding to keep themdry and warm and to remember toget a flu vaccine.

Eastbound Old Stage RoadWestbound Kingston Pike

Unoccupied business on Admiral Road

worked out really well,” Andrewssaid.

As a member of the Society ofProfessional Journalists aware ofcommunication challenges, “Iwent around to all the differentnews organizations and local gov-ernment agencies and asked themif they would be interested,”Andrews said. “… Mayor[Madeline] Rogero [City ofKnoxville] has implemented it veryeffectively, Mayor [Tim] Burchett[Knox County] has implemented itvery effectively. KPD has imple-mented it. … [Knox County]Sheriff’s Office is using it.”

“We really utilized the hashtaghe suggested. … Anyone who’sposting weather-related informa-tion utilizing that hashtag can getit in one central place,” MichaelGrider, Communications directorfor Office of Knox County Mayor,

said. “… We included updatesabout roadways, about salting andbrining operations.”

“When I talked to the mayor hesaid, ‘Yeah, that’s a good idea, let’sstart doing it.’ … If we’ve got aroad that’s closed or a particularlydangerous spot or something alongthose lines we want as many peo-ple as possible to see it. … It does-n’t cost anything to do it. It takesno additional effort to add that to atweet.

“It’s just a way to take a wholelot of confusing information andcentralize it and make it easy tofind, easy to filter, easy to dispel.”

Though saying “it’s hard tomeasure” the effectiveness of#knoxwx during the massive poweroutages and icy roads last week, “Isaw the hashtag popping up con-siderably on different social mediaoutlets,” Grider said. “… I noticedVisit Knoxville would pick it up; Istarted seeing private individualsusing on their Twitter pages. That

shows it’s starting to catch on.” In reference to Knox County

Schools being on board, “When Dr.[Jim] McIntyre [Jr., superintend-ent] tweets out the hashtag, thou-sands of parents see that hashtag,”Andrews said. “Thousands of stu-dents see that hashtag. … Thenthey use it and then their friendssee it and their friends use it.”

In fact, “Mayor Rogero startedusing the hashtag before the stormeven came,” Andrews said, adding#knoxwx “won a national awardfrom the Society of ProfessionalJournalists.”

Jesse Fox Mayshark, director ofCommunications for City ofKnoxville, said, “We certainlythought it was a good idea becauseTwitter is useful for lots of things,but one thing we really find it use-ful for are these kinds of situa-tions, weather situations wherethings might be changing reallyquickly. … As we get informationfrom our road crews, police and

fire, whatever, we can get it outreally quickly.

“… Having that hashtag, peoplewho just want weather news cansearch by that hashtag and every-body who’s using that, whichwould be like us, the county, theschools or whatever, they’ll get allthose weather updates,” Maysharkadded.

“… We’ve gotten a lot of positivefeedback this week about all thecommunications we’ve put out onTwitter and Facebook and so forth.I know people are receiving theinformation and they’re finding ituseful, and I think that hashtag isone more thing that helps withthat and makes it easier for peopleto find those things.”

Based upon “online metrics rat-ings services” concerning feed-back about #knoxwx, “You can seefor the [previous] week it was oneof the top-trending topics inKnoxville,” Andrews said.

However, “I haven’t see any

[response] from town of Farragut,”Andrews added.

In getting his hashtag off theground, “I met with every newspa-per, every TV station, every govern-ment agency top to bottom. … Ihad everybody feeling that theywere part of it, that was the crucialelement of this.

“This is a community project,that is what I love about this.”

About his motivation to create#knoxwx, Andrews had a simpleanswer. “I just saw a way to helpsociety,” he said. “What I noticedwas you had all these differentorganizations throwing out infor-mation, and it was like a bombard-ment, it was coming from a milliondifferent directions.”

Thanks to Andrews’ efforts, TheNational Weather Service “actuallymade #knoxwx one of only two inthe nation as a weather ambassa-dor program,” he said.

■ ALAN SLOANasloan@farragutpress.com

When planning ahead for apower outage in the wintermonths, and you’ve ruled out usinga generator — either due toexpense or fear of carbon monox-ide gas — what are the bestoptions?

Some of the most popular arenatural gas logs, natural gas wallheaters and kerosene heaters.

“Some people have what’s calledvented logs or vented heaters, andthat’s not a problem because itdoes direct vent outside,” BobLambert, president of TennesseeGas Association and gas divisionsuperintendent with EtowahUtilities in McMinn County, said.“But there are also a lot of unvent-ed appliances that a lot of peopleare using now because they’re a lotmore efficient and the heat staysinside.

“I’ve actually got a set of unvent-ed logs at my house, but those havesafety features built into them,”Lambert added. “If any time theoxygen levels start to get on thelow side, they will kick off. It’scalled an oxygen depletion switchthat is built into the appliance.”

However, “The way they’redesigned, under normal operatingconditions, most of your houseshave enough natural ventilationthat it would never, ever kick off,”he said.

Most houses would onlyapproach the levels where an oxy-gen depletion switch would comeinto play with a gas log “with anunbelievably tight house or ahouse on the small side,” Lambertsaid.

“They’re very safe.” As an alternative to gas logs

when the power goes out, Lambertsaid some of his customers have anatural gas “wall heater” in a roomwhere family members would gath-er. “You’d be surprised how muchheat a 30,000 to 40,000 BTU set oflogs or ventless heater will put out.You can heat a lot more than oneroom with it,” Lambert said.

Lambert estimated “20 to 25percent” of his EU customerschoose to heat electrically but usea natural gas tie-in, with logs, as a

heat back-up. Among his cus-tomers who use natural gas as amain heating source, Lambert esti-mated “20 to 25 percent” of themhave gas logs as a power outageback-up.

“With an unvented fireplace youdon’t even have to put chimneysin. … Just built a little surroundaround them,” Lambert added. “Itmakes it very economical, some-where in the $1,000 to $1,500range.”

Lambert said about 2,300 of hisroughly 7,500 EU residential, com-mercial and non-profit customersuse natural gas as their primaryheating.

The key, in terms of safe opera-tion of natural gas logs, are thosethat are “direct vent,” M. ShannonLittleton, Lenoir City UtilitiesBoard general manager, said.

“There are some [gas logs] thatcannot” be used without electrici-ty, Littleton added. “If they have tobe power-vented, where electricityis taking the fumes from the burn-ing of the natural gas and ventsthat to the outside, then that’s adangerous situation.”

If a power-vented gas log wereturned on in a power outage, andsomeone also struck a match tolight a candle, “That could be hor-rific,” Littleton said. “If you don’tknow what you have, you need tocall someone to gather that infor-mation because you could reallymake some big mistakes and thecause could be fatal.”

However, “I would assume thatthere are some safety featuresthat, if the power’s off on thepower vent, the pilot light is goingto go off and be unable to light,”Littleton said. “But please, don’ttake that as an absolute. Be sureyou know what you’re system isand how it operates before you tryand use natural gas.”

Of the roughly 8,000 LCUB cus-tomers without power resultingfrom last week’s ice and snow, “Iwould say 30 percent had gas alter-nate sources [of heat] or a woodenfireplace where they were able tostay warm regardless of whetherthe power was on or not,” Littletonsaid.

“In some cases they are natural-ly vented, and some are ventless,

FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 • 5BSTATE OF EMERGENCY

#knoxwxFrom page 3B

Alternativeheat sources

No generator, no problem: low cost options during power outage

they’re so efficient they don’t ventat all. ... You also need to havesome type of battery[-powered]back-up for carbon monoxidedetection.”

“Kerosene obviously is a goodchoice, but there’s some dangers

associated with it,” Littleton saidabout those heaters. “Placingthose things too close to com-bustible materials in the house,where you’ll get a house fire.

“Of course, the fumes from thosekerosene [heaters] causes issues.”

Alan Lawson, director ofKnoxville-Knox County Emer-gency Management Agency, saidkerosene heaters “are problemat-ic, there are issues with ventila-tion. Some people use them, butthey wouldn’t be my first choice.”

6B • FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 STATE OF EMERGENCY

individual meter that the poweris out at that location.

“I think at one point we hadanswered 5,000 phone calls. We

have to utilize a lot of personnelto do that, where [otherwise] wecould release some of those folksto get to the field to actually getthe power restored,” he added. “Ifa customer has information abouta particular transformer that’s

burning or some lines are burn-ing because they see a tree in theline, we need to know that.”

Regardless of what reason acustomer calls concerning powerissues, however, “That’s the cus-tomer’s right, if they want to call

we’ll take their call,” Littletonsaid.

Littleton emphasized thatunless your power outage alsoincludes a real emergency, suchas serious injury or an imminentthreat of harm or danger, do not

call 9-1-1 to report a power out-age.

“That was eliminating the pos-sibility of getting people in toserve a real, true emergencyneed,” Littleton said about tyingup the 9-1-1 line.

LCUBFrom page 2B

■ TAMMY CHEEK tcheek@farragutpress.com

When winter storms hit andtemperatures drop into single dig-its, from Feb. 16 through Feb. 24locally (at deadline), the Farragutcommunity faces power outagesthat could affect their gas service.

“[Knoxville Utilities Board]takes safety seriously,” StephanieMidgett, KUB spokeswoman, said.“Our top priority is providing reli-able utility service in a way that issafe for you, our crews and thecommunity.

“If you have been without elec-tricity for a extended period oftime, it is best to seek alternateshelter right away,” she added.

Midgett recommended contact-ing the American Red Cross tofind a shelter, contacting familymembers or friends who still haveelectricity or finding a nearbyhotel still in service.

Even though people have gasfireplaces, there are safety con-cerns when the power goes outand they have an electric starteron their fireplaces.

“KUB recommends that eachperson checks the owner’s manu-al for their fireplace or call alicensed heating and air condi-tioner specialist,” Midgett said,

“These situations will varydepending on the manufacturer ofthe unit,” she added.

Likewise, she said the personshould check the owner’s manualfor the fireplace to see if it is safe

to light a gas fireplace by notusing the starter.

“This will depend on the typesof gas appliances a person has intheir home,” Midgett said. “Everycustomer will need to familiarizethemselves with the operatingprocedures for their appliancesby consulting their owner's manu-al or a licensed heating and airconditioning specialist.”

If a person smells gas, she saidKUB recommends he or she“leave the area [inside or outside]immediately and tell others toleave, too.

“Go to a safe location away fromany signs of a leak,” Midgett said.“Call KUB at 865-524-2911 rightaway. We will send a trained tech-nician to perform a free naturalgas leak inspection.

“For your safety and to helpensure a rapid response, KUBrequires that you call instead ofreporting natural gas serviceissues online,” she added.

In the event of a gas leak,Midgett said KUB recommendspeople:

• Do not switch on or off anylights or appliances.

• Do not use any telephone,including cordless or cellularphones.

• Do not use any electricaldevices, including appliances,doorbells or garage door openers.

• Do not smoke or use matchesor lighters.

• Do not start or stop a nearbyvehicle or machinery.

Power outage safety ‘top priority’ for KUB

kit, including:Battery-operated devices, such as a flashlight, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio, and lamps;extra batteries; first-aid kit and extra medicine; baby items; and cat litter or sandfor icy walkways.Protect your family from carbon monoxide.Keep grills, camp stoves, and generators out of the house, basement and garage.Locate generators at least 20 feet from the house.

Leave your home immediately if the CO detector sounds, and call 911.Work slowly when doing outside chores.Take these precautions out-

doors Many people spend timeoutdoors in the winter working,traveling, or enjoying wintersports. Outdoor activities canexpose you to several safety haz-ards, but you can take thesesteps to prepare for them:

Wear appropriate outdoor clothing: layers of light, warm clothing; mittens; hats; scarves; and waterproof boots.Sprinkle cat litter or sand on icy patches.Learn safety precautions to

follow when outdoors.Be aware of the wind chill factor.Work slowly when doing outside chores.Take a buddy and an emergency kit when you are participating in outdoor recreation.Carry a cell phone.Be prepared to check on family and neighbors who are especially at risk from cold weather hazards.Do this when you plan to travelWhen planning travel, be

aware of current and forecastweather conditions.

Avoid traveling when the

weather service has issued advisories.If you must travel, inform a friend or relative of your proposed route and expected time of arrival.Follow these safety rules if you become stranded in your car.Stay with your car unless safety is no more than 100 yards away, but continue to move arms and legs.Stay visible by putting bright cloth on the antenna, turning on the inside overhead light (when engine is running), and raising the hood when snow stops falling.Run the engine and heater only 10 minutes

every hour.Keep a downwind window open.Make sure the tailpipe is not blocked.Above all, be prepared to

check on family and neighborswho are especially at risk fromcold weather hazards: youngchildren, older adults, and thechronically ill. If you have pets,bring them inside. If you cannotbring them inside, provide ade-quate, warm shelter andunfrozen water to drink.

No one can stop the onset ofwinter. However, if you followthese suggestions, you will beready for it when it comes.

Knoxville Utilities Board crew work on gas lines in their service areas.

• Do not attempt to turn on oroff natural gas valves.

• Do not re-enter the buildingor return to the area until KUBtells you it is safe to do so.

“Remember, your personal safe-ty is a top priority,” Midgett said.

There are three ways to recog-nize a gas leak, smell, sound andsight, she said.

“You may smell a rotten eggodor,” she said. “KUB adds a dis-tinctive pungent odor to our natu-ral gas supply to help you recog-

nize it quickly.”Customers can request a

scratch-and-sniff bill insert,which contains safety informa-tion, or pick up a bill insert at aKUB Payment Center, Midgettsaid.

Another sign of a gas leak is thesound of a blowing or hissingsound near a natural gas appli-ance or a roaring sound near a gasline, she said.

And, one may see “bubbling in awet or flooded area, dry spots in

moist areas or vegetation that isdead or discolored for no appar-ent reason” or he or she may seeflames visible if a leak is ignited,Midgett said.

The safety of using a keroseneheater in a home “will depend onthe type of kerosene heater anindividual has,” she said. “Theyshould check the specifications oftheir particular heater in theowner’s manual, and follow allmanufacturer’s instructions.”

PreparedFrom page 3B

warm stuff in the car and you needto make sure that you have a fulltank of fuel.

“You need to make sure that youhave snacks and drinks andmaybe an extra coat. Hopefully,you’ll have a full tank of fuel sothat way, you can have some heatwhile you’re waiting to get help.The best thing to do is stay in thecar and keep the doors closed.”

Like Moneymaker, Hall saidthat a little preparation couldmake a stressful time a bit easierto handle.

“I would say that you shouldhave a car package, for lack of abetter term,” Hall said. “Youshould have a blanket, somejumper cables, snack food, waterand a flash light.”

AAA spokesman Don Lindsey,like Moneymaker, said that it isimportant to stay calm after anaccident on an icy road.

“There’s no question that stay-ing calm is crucial,” Lindsey said.“When you get into the car, andafter you’re buckled up, I wouldadvise you to stop and think aboutwhat you would do if you were in askid and still, you might not reactthe right way but you need to act

out what might happen.“If you’re in a skid, stay off the

gas and don’t hit the brakes. Youshould just steer the wheel intothe direction that you want thecar to go. By definition, a skidmeans that you have lost controlof the car. Really, the only thing todo is to wait for the car to regaintraction.”

Lindsey also said that mostskids aren’t fatal to the driver andnoted that many skids don’t resultin injuries.

“Most skids don’t result ininjury,” he said. “There may bedamage to the vehicle. But it’s bet-ter to have damage to a vehicle

than to have an injury to you.”While in most skids, damage is

minimal; cars do sometimesbecome submerged after slidingoff the road.

“When you end up in water,that’s a whole different ballgame,” Moneymaker said. “Whenyou go into the water, you bettercall 911.”

Thankfully, such incidents arerare according to Lindsey.

“Less than one-half of one per-cent of skids result in a car goinginto the water,” Lindsey said. “Ifyou do, I suggest that you get thewindows down as soon as possibleor the water will get them down

for you. There will probably besome conflicting opinions on that,but eventually, you’ll have to getthose windows down if you’regoing to get out of the car and outof the water.

“You should also keep your[seatbelt] buckled because if youunbuckle, you run the risk of hit-ting the [steering] wheel andbeing knocked unconscious.”

Driving in wintry weatherbrings its share of challenges butpreparation and maintaining aneven keel could mean the differ-ence in a mere accident or onethat could lead to severe injury.

DrivingFrom page 1B