MID-HUDSON – The Hudson Valley is digging out of the first storm of 2017 with Rockland County declaring a state of emergency as the snow continued to fall, to northern Orange County getting over a foot of the white stuff and Kingston measuring about eight inches.
Most area roads and bridges, including the Mid-Hudson
Bridge (above) were a mess for a good part of Thursday
Injury in a Rt. 32, Town of Newburgh accident during the storm,
one of several accidents in the region
The City of Poughkeepsie was among municipalities that also placed snow emergencies in effect during the height of the storm.
Regardless of where you are in the Valley, you should be mindful of how you are clearing your driveway and sidewalk, said Dr. Daniel Miller, an emergency room doctor at the Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley Hospital in Kingston. His tips include warm-up stretching before going outside, taking frequent breaks, don’t consume alcohol before or after shoveling, and don’t eat a big meal before shoveling.
Dr. Miller also suggested pushing snow instead of lifting it with your shovel if possible and lifting with your legs, not your back.
The emergency room does get the occasional shoveler with chest pains and persons with other snow removal injuries, which the doctor said are preventable.
The ER also gets its share of snow blower accidents. “It is important to remind people to turn off your snow blower before you are clearing off any jams because you don’t want to be reaching into the chute and have your hands ground up,” Miller said, also noting that snow blowers should not be run in confined space to prevent being overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning.
Emergency rooms also get the occasional patient who comes in with broken bones, sprains or other injuries resulting from slipping on snowy and icy pavement
