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Sherburne County Multi -Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2020 <br />risk of residents being exposed to cold temperatures during power outages or other storm -related <br />hazards during extreme cold. <br />Vulnerability <br />Extreme cold temperatures affect the county nearly every year. The amount of snow and ice, number of <br />blizzard conditions, and days of sub -zero temperatures each year are unpredictable. <br />Within Sherburne County the risk of extreme cold does not vary geographically. Citizens living in <br />climates such as these must always be prepared for situations that put their lives or property at risk. It is <br />not always the depth of the cold, but an unprepared individual with a vehicle breakdown or lack of a <br />personal winter safety kit that are at risk. Rural citizens not connected to city gas lines are more <br />vulnerable to issues with extreme cold. <br />Sherburne County Emergency Management identified that there are existing program gaps and <br />deficiencies that make its citizens more vulnerable to extreme cold and should be addressed with new <br />mitigation efforts to reduce vulnerability. They include: <br />Mass Care Shelter Facilities — Sherburne County needs to work with local communities and the <br />American Red Cross to increase the number of facilities that can serve as mass care sheltering facilities. <br />Generators for Backup Power— Not all of our designated shelter facilities have generator backup power <br />to provide heat if there is a loss of power. <br />4.3.8 Extreme Heat <br />Extreme heat is the combination of very high temperatures and exceptionally humid conditions. When <br />the atmospheric moisture content is high, the rate of perspiration from the body decreases and the <br />human body feels warmer. Heat stress can be indexed by combining the effects of temperature and <br />humidity. The National Weather Service's (NWS) Heat Index (Figure 3.8) is a measure of how hot the <br />body feels when relative humidity is factored in with actual airtemperature. The heat index values are <br />for shady locations - exposure to direct sunlight may increase these values by up to i5°F. The NWS will <br />initiate alert procedures when the Heat Index is expected to exceed 3.05°-3.3.o°F for at least two <br />consecutive days (n.d.). <br />Page17o <br />