Bitter cold temperatures continue over the next several days with chances of snow in southeast Iowa, and Washington County Emergency Management gives guidance to motorists to avoid disruptive or dire situations.

Emergency Management Coordinator Marissa Reisen reminds residents to have an emergency supply kit in your vehicle including jumper cables, kitty litter or sand, water, snacks, shovel, flashlight, and warm clothes and blankets. Reisen also advises not to avoid the gas station, “Make sure you have a full tank of gas. Not just when you’re getting ready to go somewhere but you also don’t want to have, when you get to your destination, whether you’re parking your car in your driveway at night or you go somewhere else that’s really cold, you don’t want to have less than a quarter of a tank of gas because you can get freezing of your gas line. Of course everybody with a diesel engine knows about their diesel fuel gelling, but with regular gas too, you want to have enough that it’s not going to freeze and you won’t have further issues with your vehicle after that.”

To avoid frostbite or hypothermia Reisen stresses the importance of covering yourself from head to toe in several light layers, and if you start to sweat, it’s time to head inside. Reisen also suggests keeping in contact with family, friends, and neighbors this winter through video and phone calls, as this can be an especially stressful time during the pandemic.