Sununu, Safety Officials: New Hampshire Should Prepare For Severe Weather

CONCORD, NH — Gov. Chris Sununu and other state officials were in Concord on Thursday warning residents to prepare for dangerously cold weather due to wind chills expected for this weekend.

Sununu was joined by Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Robert Buxton and Jay Broccolo, the director of Weather Operations for the Mount Washington Observatory at the Concord Fire Department Headquarters, to speak about what is expected to be “potentially life-threatening cold temperatures” in the forecast. With the chilly temps, wind gusts are expected to make it feel as if it is between 30 and 60 degrees below zero.

According to officials, frostbite can occur within 15 minutes when wind chill values are near minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit. At minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, hypothermia can occur in about 10 minutes.

“Ahead of what may be the coldest air that we’ve seen in years, the state of New Hampshire is prepared with resources in place,” Sununu said. “During this dangerous cold spell, it’s important for Granite Staters to plan ahead and stay indoors as much as possible. Remember to check on relatives, neighbors, the elderly, and pets."

State officials were coordinating with emergency and local responders to assist others in preparing for the weather. The state has approved $5 million in emergency shelter and homelessness funding — including funding short-term cold weather shelters.

Cities and towns were encouraged to share temporary shelter and warming locations with state officials through WebEOC so the most up-to-date local information may be provided to 2-1-1 callers.

Emergency shelters were open to homeless individuals at the following locations:

• Southwestern Community Services: 96 Main St. Claremont
• Friends Emergency Housing: 130 Pembroke Road, Suite 200, in Concord
• Salvation Army McKenna House: 100 S Fruit St. in Concord
• My Friend’s Place: 368 Washington St. in Dover
• Seacoast Family Promise: 27 Hampton Road in Exeter
• New Generation: 568 Portsmouth Avenue in Greenland
• Hundred Nights, Inc: 17 Lamson St. in Keene
• Southwestern Community Services: 63 Community Way in Keene
• Salvation Army Carey House (Laconia): 6 Spring St. in Laconia
• Tyler Blain House: 56 Prospect St. in Lancaster
• Burch House: 25 Mountain Brook Circle in Lincoln
• Families in Transition – New Horizons: 122 Market St. in Manchester
• Angie’s Place: 434 Union St. in Manchester
• Families in Transition: 136 Lowell St. in Manchester
• Helping Hands Outreach: 50 Lowell St. in Manchester
• Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter: 2 Quincy St. in Nashua
• Bridge House: 260 Highland St. in Plymouth
• Cross Roads House: 600 Lafayette Road in Portsmouth

Anyone concerned for another person's safety during the cold weather should contact their local law enforcement’s non-emergency line and request a welfare check.

If someone sees someone outside and unsheltered, and their life appear in danger, they should call 9-1-1.

The governor and safety officials released 10 cold weather safety tips:

• Stay informed and monitor local weather reports. Sign up for NH Alerts at ReadyNH.gov.
• Stay indoors and limit travel as much as possible. If travel is necessary, prepare a winter emergency kit with warm clothes, boots, blankets, flashlights, extra batteries, food, and water.
• Wear several layers of loose-fitting clothing when outdoors, including hat, scarf, and gloves. If clothing becomes wet, remove it immediately.
• Protect people at high risk by providing warm clothes and blankets and return indoors when shivering.
• Bring animals indoors.
• In the event of a power outage, use battery-powered flashlights rather than candles or open flames for light. Keep generators at least 10 feet away from homes with the engine exhaust directed away from windows and doors.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to ensure they are functioning properly.
• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment, like a furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
• Plug space heaters directly into an outlet, not a power strip.
• Never use an oven as a heat source.

Additional resources, including how to prepare for extremely cold temperatures and winter storms, can be found at ReadyNH.gov.

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