Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Definitely not going outside today

My old and creaky house sounds like it is going to collapse around me. When the wind gusts, it comes in through the drafty windows and blows things around in my room.

Then the National Weather Service issued this warning. (I am not kidding. This is not made up. They actually said this.)

"Special Statement from National Weather Service....

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS MORNING FOR THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON REGION...THE EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA...

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THIS MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. LIFE THREATENING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS HAVE DEVELOPED RAPIDLY ACROSS THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON REGION THIS MORNING.

AT 7:27 AM THIS MORNING...A WIND GUST WAS RECORDED TO 60 MPH AT MANASSAS VIRGINIA. NUMEROUS WIND GUSTS OVER 40 MPH HAVE OBSERVED AROUND THE REGION ALONG WITH WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS.

IF YOU GET STRANDED IN YOUR VEHICLE...DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO WALK FOR ASSISTANCE...YOU CAN QUICKLY BECOME DISORIENTED IN WIND DRIVEN SNOW AND COLD. THIS STORM WILL SUBSIDE EARLY THIS EVENING...SO WAIT IN YOUR CAR FOR EMERGENCY HELP TO ARRIVE. PERIODICALLY RUN YOUR ENGINE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES EACH HOUR FOR HEAT. ENSURE YOUR EXHAUST PIPE IS CLEARED OF SNOW AND ICE. CRACK YOUR WINDOWS TO AVOID CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. TIE A COLORED CLOTH TO YOUR CARS ANTENNA TO BE VISIBLE TO RESCUERS. FROM TIME- TO-TIME...MOVE YOUR ARMS...LEGS...FINGERS...AND TOES TO KEEP BLOOD CIRCULATING."

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