Winter storms in Omaha, Nebraska, can create much more than travel problems and icy sidewalks. Heavy snow, freezing temperatures, strong winds, prolonged power outages, and blocked roads can create serious health risks for residents of all ages. During a major storm, routine activities such as shoveling a driveway, walking to a vehicle, heating a home, or picking up a prescription can suddenly become hazardous.

Understanding these risks before severe weather arrives is one of the best ways to protect yourself, your family, and vulnerable neighbors. People with heart disease, older adults, young children, individuals with limited mobility, and those who depend on daily medications may face particularly difficult conditions when roads are impassable or utilities are disrupted.

Omaha residents should also monitor changing weather conditions rather than assuming that a storm is harmless because snowfall totals appear manageable. A combination of wind, ice, wet snow, and very low temperatures can make outdoor exposure considerably more dangerous. Checking an Omaha winter storm warning today can help residents determine whether it is safer to postpone outdoor work, travel, or snow removal.

Snow Shoveling and the Risk of Heart Attack

Snow shoveling is one of the most underestimated health hazards associated with winter storms. Clearing a driveway or sidewalk can look like an ordinary household chore, but heavy or wet snow can require intense physical effort. The American Heart Association warns that snow removal can place substantial stress on the cardiovascular system and may increase the risk of heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest, particularly among people who are not accustomed to vigorous exercise.

Cold weather adds another challenge. Exposure to cold causes blood vessels to constrict, which can increase blood pressure. At the same time, lifting, pushing, and throwing snow raises the heart's workload. People may also unconsciously hold their breath while lifting a heavy shovel, producing additional changes in heart rate and blood pressure.

The risk deserves particular attention among people with high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, a history of smoking, known heart disease, or a previous heart attack or stroke. Older adults may also be more vulnerable because physical exertion in freezing weather can be more demanding than expected.

How Omaha Residents Can Reduce the Risk

If possible, arrange for someone else to handle heavy snow removal when a storm produces substantial accumulation. This is particularly important for people who have been advised by a healthcare professional to avoid strenuous activity. If you must clear snow and your health allows it, take frequent breaks, avoid lifting large amounts at once, push snow instead of repeatedly lifting and throwing it, dress in layers, and keep your head, hands, and face protected from the cold.

Do not ignore symptoms such as chest pressure, chest pain, unusual shortness of breath, severe weakness, dizziness, fainting, or a racing or irregular heartbeat. Stop shoveling immediately if these symptoms occur and seek emergency medical assistance. During a suspected heart attack, calling 911 is generally safer than attempting to drive yourself through hazardous winter conditions.

Hypothermia: Recognizing When Cold Exposure Becomes an Emergency

Hypothermia occurs when the body's core temperature falls below approximately 95°F (35°C). It can happen when someone remains outdoors too long, becomes wet, falls into snow, loses adequate home heating during a power outage, or cannot get into a warm environment quickly enough. Cold weather can become especially dangerous when wind accelerates heat loss from the body.

Early symptoms can include shivering, fatigue, confusion, clumsiness, and difficulty speaking. As hypothermia becomes more severe, shivering may stop, coordination can deteriorate, breathing may become slower, and the person may become increasingly confused, drowsy, or unconscious.

That progression is important because a person with severe hypothermia may not recognize how serious the situation has become. A person who appears unusually confused or sleepy after prolonged cold exposure should not simply be told to rest. Hypothermia can become life-threatening and requires prompt medical attention.

What to Do for Suspected Hypothermia

Move the person into a warm, sheltered environment as quickly and safely as possible. Remove wet clothing and replace it with dry layers or blankets. Focus warming efforts on the center of the body, including the chest, neck, head, and groin. If the person is awake and able to swallow normally, a warm, nonalcoholic drink may be appropriate.

Avoid alcohol as a warming strategy. Alcohol can impair judgment and contribute to additional heat loss. Severe hypothermia requires emergency medical care, so do not delay calling 911 when the person has significant confusion, loss of consciousness, severe weakness, or other serious symptoms.

Frostbite: Symptoms and Appropriate Treatment

Frostbite is an injury caused by freezing of body tissue. Fingers, toes, ears, nose, cheeks, and other exposed areas are particularly vulnerable during severe winter weather. Omaha residents who must travel outdoors during a storm should pay close attention to numbness or changes in skin appearance.

Early signs can include numbness, tingling, pain, pale or waxy-looking skin, and redness. More advanced frostbite may cause hard or frozen-looking skin, significant loss of sensation, swelling, blisters, or discoloration.

The first step is to get out of the cold and into a warm environment. Remove wet or constricting clothing and jewelry from the affected area if this can be done safely. Frostbitten tissue should not be rubbed, massaged, or exposed to direct high heat such as a heating pad, radiator, fireplace, or very hot water. These methods can cause additional tissue damage.