Limit Travel, Stay Safe While Shoveling Snow, Says Loudoun Officials

In the wake of a significant snowfall, Loudoun County officials encourage residents to limit travel, stay safe while shoveling snow and make sure to clear snow from areas around fire hydrants.

Motorists should stay safe and stay off the roads for now! If you must drive, make sure your vehicle is prepared for winter driving, including having an emergency kit.  Also:

• Take it slow while on the road and keep a safe distance of at least five seconds behind other vehicles
• Travel gently on snow and ice. Don’t slam on the brakes. Turn slowly to avoid spinning out of control

Also, take precautions when shoveling snow, which can be heavy. Special attention is needed to avoid back injuries associated with shoveling snow. To help prevent injury:

• Stretch before you go out. If you go out to shovel snow, do a few stretching exercises to warm up your body.
• Avoid overexertion. Cold weather puts an added strain on the heart. Exercise such as shoveling snow or pushing a car can bring on a heart attack or make other medical conditions worse.
• Drink water, stay hydrated. Avoid alcohol or caffeinated drinks.
• Pace yourself by taking frequent breaks to gently stretch your back, arms and legs.

Loudoun County officials also remind everyone to remove snow that is covering fire hydrants. In the instance of a fire, firefighters need to be able to quickly locate the fire hydrant, or lives and property could be lost. Businesses are also reminded to clear the areas around emergency exits to ensure their customers can exit safely in an emergency.

More information about staying safe during winter weather is online at loudoun.gov/winter.

In addition to the Loudoun County website, residents may also receive information by signing up for alerts from the county through Alert Loudoun at  loudoun.gov/alert; following Loudoun County on Twitter at loudoun.gov/twitter; and on Facebook at  loudoun.gov/facebook. Monitor local media reports for weather updates. You can also get the latest weather forecast at weather.gov.