Local experts say – and national data supports – that winter brings a broad set of safety risks, including risks that disproportionately affect older adults and young children.
Dangers include hypothermia and frostbite, falls inside and outside the home and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Here are more details about those dangers and how to prevent or minimize them.
Slips and falls
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reports that falls are one of the most common reasons for emergency medical service responses statewide.
In 2024, emergency medical personnel in Wisconsin responded to more than 140,000 fall-related calls, accounting for about 21% of all 911-related ambulance runs statewide, according to DHS data.
Older adults are disproportionately affected.
According to the National Institute on Aging, older adults face a higher risk of falling due to chronic medical conditions that can limit circulation, balance or mobility, including arthritis, Parkinson’s disease and diabetes.
Children also face a higher risk of falls, which are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries for all children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Milwaukee Health Department urges residents to prepare for icy conditions as temperatures fall and to clear snow and ice from walkways to help prevent falls.
The National Institute on Aging recommends using ice melt products or sand on walkways, using railings on stairs and walkways, avoiding shoveling snow yourself when possible and wearing rubber-soled, low-heeled footwear.
Christine Westrich, emergency response planning director for the Milwaukee Health Department, said social isolation adds another layer of risk for older adults.
“Either their friends or relatives have passed away, and they have over time socially isolated themselves,” Westrich said.
The onset of hearing loss and dementia are risk factors for increased isolation, she added.
Hypothermia and frostbite
Age can affect how the body handles cold exposure.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , older adults with inadequate clothing, heating or food, and babies in cold conditions are among the groups at highest risk of hypothermia.
This winter, there have already been roughly 10 fatalities where cold temperatures may have played a factor, said Michael Simley, a medicolegal death investigator manager for the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Extreme temperatures can also worsen existing medical emergencies, Simley added.
A heart attack, for example, is serious under any circumstances, he said. But, he added, it becomes even more dangerous when it happens in a hostile environment like when it is very cold.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
With colder temperatures comes increased use of furnaces and other heating systems – and with that, a higher risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Increased use of appliances and other items that burn fuels and other chemicals, such as furnaces, portable generators, stoves and chimneys, helps account for the higher risk, according to the CDC.
Carbon monoxide is odorless and invisible, and symptoms such as headache, dizziness and nausea may be overlooked or mistaken for other illnesses.
“We’ve recently had two outbreaks with families of four (members) or greater,” Westrich said. “In one case, they didn’t have working heat and brought a charcoal grill inside. … In another, it was a malfunctioning furnace.”
In both situations, she said, there were no working carbon monoxide detectors.
DHS says carbon monoxide detectors should be installed on every level of the home.
Renters should be especially vigilant, Westrich said.
“Oftentimes, what might get overlooked in the lease, it’ll say the renter is responsible for the battery replacement in those devices,” she said. “Sometimes tenants aren’t aware of that, or it’s hanging high in the ceiling – you forget it’s even there.”
Resources
The Health Department maintains cold weather guidance with general information and tips.
For non-emergencies that are not crimes, the Milwaukee Police Department says residents have a number of options, a spokesperson for the department said in an email.
Residents can request a welfare check by calling 414-933-4444.
People seeking shelter, warming centers or other basic needs can call 211.
Those experiencing emotional distress or mental health struggles can call or text 988, the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Westrich and Simley both emphasized the same core message about being mindful of the people in your community.
“Check on your neighbors,” Westrich said.
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Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
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