An Extreme Cold Weather Warning went into effect Tuesday evening and is expected to last until to noon Thursday.
Dangerously cold wind chills began Tuesday night will most likely return Wednesday morning and Thursday morning. Some wind chill values may drop as low as -15°. It is projected that bitterly cold temperatures will continue through Friday morning with warmer weather over the weekend.
To stay safe in cold weather, individuals are encouraged to dress warmly, stay dry, and avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
Those who have to be outdoors should dress in layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing a hat and mittens. It is also encouraged to cover the mouth with a scarf to protect the lungs.
It is important to stay indoors as much as possible and limit time outside. Individuals should try to stay dry and out of the wind.
With the projected low temperatures it is important to watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia.
For those indoors, never heat the home with a gas stovetop or oven.
To use a space heater safely, it is important to keep it away from flammable materials, plug it directly into a wall outlet, and never leave it unattended.
Place the heater on a level surface, away from things that can burn and keep it at least three feet away from furniture, bedding, and curtains. Don’t place it near a sink or in the bathroom.
Plug the heater directly into a wall outlet, not an extension cord or power strip. Don’t overload extension cords or outlets.
Keep children and pets away from the heater and never leave a child or pet unattended in a room with a space heater.
It is best to turn off the heater when leaving the room or go to bed. Look out for signs of malfunction and use a timer to automatically shut off the heater after a few hours It is important to insulate exposed pipes, turn off exterior faucets to prevent pipes from freezing and allow faucets to drip during cold weather. If pipes freeze or burst, it is best to know how to shut off water valves.
Levelland-Hockley County Emergency Management is urging residents and business owners to register for weather related and emergency notifications to stay informed and alerted in case of emergencies.
Residents are encouraged to go to RUAWARE.US to register for Hockley County Alerts. Business Owners in Hockley County can go to https://r.iinfo. com/hockleycobizcontact for business alerts.
Also, individuals are encouraged to check their wireless device has the “emergency alerts by location” turned on. That will allow notifications to come through similar to the amber alerts but are initiated locally for emergency situations such as tornado warning or dynamic police incidents.
Individuals should not assume that getting amber alerts to their phone their settings are correct for the notification; people will have to allow location alerts.
What location alert means is it will send the message based off geographical boundaries; the alert can be isolated to a specific area for only those within the preset boundary to receive the notification. This is a voluntary activation as amber alert system is not voluntary.
All alerts through this system come from local officials; never spam, solicitation calls, text messages or emails.
All of the text messages will come from the same number so it can be saved in contacts to be easily recognized.
The phone calls will come through with the office of emergency management number 806-568-5487 so it can be saved and easily recognizable as well.
Community members are urged to take measures to protect themselves from the cold and be notified in the case of snow fall or frozen roadways.
Updates for Hockley County citizens can be viewed through the Hockley County-Levelland Emergency Management Facebook page.