Forecasters warned that the bomb cyclone would bring hurricane-force winds to the Northeast this week, and this video of a New Jersey gas station proves it.
EXCLUSIVE: Violent winds take down gas station canopy in Garfield, NJ #nbc4ny pic.twitter.com/RDov0rmVdQ
— Steven Bognar (@Bogs4NY) January 4, 2018
The canopy of a Delta gas station in Garfield, New Jersey came loose on Thursday afternoon after a gust-force wind ripped through the area.
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Local firefighters were on scene and had cut the power and cleared all people out of the station when the top blew off a few minutes later, according to NorthJersey.com.
The roof above the gas pumps had been damaged from a mix of old age and the storm, Fire Chief Mike Semancik said.
When firefighters arrived, he said, “it was teeter-tottering. Then a big gust of wind blew it right off.”
No one was hurt, Semancik said.
While no one was hurt in this particular incident, at least four people have died as a result of the winter storm, authorities say.
And while gusts of winds like that can be dangerous, weather authorities want you to know that it’s not necessarily the bomb cyclone that’s dangerous — but rather the frostbite.
If you have to leave your house during this storm, it’s important to consider wind chill. As The Weather Channel explains, wind chill can also be described as the “feels like” temperature.
“This is because the wind strips away the thin layer of warm air above your skin,” The Weather Channel explains. “The stronger the wind, the more heat lost from your body, and the colder it will feel. When the winds are light, it will feel closer to the actual air temperature.”
The more extreme the wind chill, the more dangerous it can be for you outside. You will have a high risk of hypothermia, which happens when your core body temperature drops below 95 degrees.
In extremely cold temperatures, you can begin developing frostbite after just five minutes outside, according to the NWS chart above. However, it is not forecast to get that cold during the bomb cyclone.
To prevent hypothermia, the NWS suggests you dress in layers, wrap yourself up well, avoid walking into breezes, eat hot foods and drink warm drinks and make sure you wear a warm hat. If you start feeling cold, sluggish and have trouble thinking clearly, you should go to an emergency room, the NWS says.
