Sunday, February 25, 2007
Governor Culver Calls on Communities to Open Shelters
(Washington, DC) Governor Chet Culver has asked Iowa's state and local emergency response community to take every step necessary to help Iowans through the unprecedented storm that has hit the state. "Last night I called upon our emergency team to work with local authorities and ensure that shelter facilities are available for Iowans who could be without power for several days," the Governor said. "I am authorizing the use of all state resources to help with sheltering including the use of National Guard armories if needed. In addition, we are working directly with the Iowa Emergency Operations Center to address long-term sheltering needs. If needed, we are looking into opening our National Guard armories to be used as shelters if local community shelters become full."
Power companies have reported over 150,000 Iowans are without power. That estimate is not complete because rural electric cooperatives are still assessing the situation of their customers.
Iowans are urged to follow these important safety tips
- Iowans should call 9-1-1 if they need to be transported to a local shelter. People should be prepared to shelter several days and, if they think they are facing an emergency situation, Iowans should not hesitate to call 9-1-1 and get to a shelter immediately.
- Under no conditions should people be using combustible engines or open flame grills as a source of heat in homes if their power is out. This poses a great risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
- We strongly encourage people stay off the roads if at all possible. Road crews are working diligently at clearing the highways, but conditions are still unsafe for travel. While road crews have made progress, downed power lines and debris from the storm has made travel treacherous.
- Stay away from downed power lines as they could cause serious injury.
- We want to encourage people to be safe while removing snow from their driveways and sidewalks. Most areas of the state experienced freezing rain prior to the snow, causing slippery conditions. The majority of injuries associated with winter storms are related to falls and overstraining while scooping snow.
"I have called upon Iowa state government to stand ready to help Iowans," Governor Culver said. He and Lt. Governor Patty Judge are working closely with officials of Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management to help coordinate relief efforts through the state Emergency Operations Center. "I am proud of the efforts already made by local and state responders and I am confident they can meet this challenge," the Governor added.