HOUSTON (AP) — Winter weather brings various hazards that people have to contend with to keep warm and safe.
These dangers can include carbon monoxide poisoning, hypothermia and frozen pipes that can burst and make homes unlivable.
Public safety officials and experts say there are multiple ways people can prepare themselves to avoid these winter weather hazards and keep themselves safe.
The hazards are on the radar this week because millions of people in the United States are set to be hit with heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain from a “significant winter storm” this weekend that will impact the Midwest, the East Coast as well as much of the southern U.S., including Texas, Georgia and the Carolinas, according to the National Weather Service.
Officials say that during a winter storm, people should stay indoors. But home heating systems running for hours can increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning as the deadly fumes can be produced by furnaces, stoves and heaters, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Carbon monoxide can also be created when people use portable generators or run cars in their garages to stay warm or charge their phones.
Dr. Alex Harding, assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said that because carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, people won’t necessarily be aware of it.
“The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be really insidious. They can sneak up on patients and can range from just developing a headache or maybe a little bit of nausea to all the way to losing consciousness and seizures,” he said.
The cold weather hitting the U.S. this weekend has the ability to be dangerous or deadly because of unsafe exposure to elements.
The cold temperatures could sneak up on people in parts of the country, including Texas, that have largely experienced a mild winter so far.
“Really cold temperatures and winds can make temperatures feel a lot colder, and the result of that could be cold air that could eventually lead to frostbite at a much faster rate or hypothermia at a much faster rate than normal,” said Jon Palmer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine.
Prolonged exposure to frigid temperatures can put people at risk to hypothermia, a condition that happens when one’s body loses heat faster than it can produce it.
“Hypothermia is definitely one of the bigger concerns, especially if we do have any kind of certainty in like power grids or electricity failing,” Harding said.
The danger of hypothermia is greater for someone who is outside, exposed to wind gusts and isn’t wearing appropriate clothing or has clothing that gets wet.
“If they have a safe place that’s warm, where they can hunker down, where they have water and food and all those kind of necessities … then that’s going to limit their exposure to those risks,” Harding said.
But vulnerable populations like people with disabilities or homeless individuals can have problems finding a warm and safe place to stay.
Frozen pipes in a home during severe winter weather is a particular problem in parts of the South because such equipment is often located outside structures. But other parts of the country also have to deal with this problem.
Jose Parra, a master plumber with Abacus Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electrical in Houston, advises people to insulate any pipes that are exposed to the outside, turn off and drain sprinkler systems and let faucets inside a home drip during freezing temperatures so water can run through the pipes and protect them.
“A lot of what we’re fixing, I would say 80% to 90%, could have been prevented with just a little bit of work ahead of time,” Parra said.
Experts acknowledge that cold weather can be hard for electric vehicles. But they say with some planning and a little adjustment, owners should be able to travel pretty much as normal.
Inside EV batteries, lithium ions flow through a liquid electrolyte, producing electricity. But they travel more slowly through the electrolyte when it gets cold and don’t release as much energy. That cuts into the range and can deplete a battery faster.
In the short run, automakers are likely to come up with better ways to protect battery life and warm them for charging, Neil Dasgupta, associate professor of mechanical and materials science engineering at the University of Michigan, told The Associated Press. And there are new battery chemistries in development that are more resilient in cold weather.
Associated Press writer Tom Krisher contributed to this report.
Traffic passes piled-up snow in Lowville, N.Y., Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)
People walk their dogs on an ice covered beach at the Lake Michigan shore, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)
A plow clears snow from a snow-covered sidewalk during a cold day in Lake Forest, Ill., Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s presidential council stepped down on Saturday after almost two years of tumultuous rule alongside a U.S.-backed prime minister, who is expected to remain in power as the country prepares for the first general elections in a decade.
Days before the nine-member council was dissolved, the U.S. deployed a warship and two U.S. Coast Guard boats to waters near Haiti’s capital, where gangs control 90% of Port-au-Prince.
“The naval presence appears to provide the latest proof of Washington’s willingness to use the threat of force to shape politics in the Western Hemisphere,” said Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group.
In late January, two of the council’s most influential members announced that a majority had voted to oust Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, defying calls from the U.S. government to uphold the country’s fragile political stability.
Days later, the U.S. government announced visa revocations for four unidentified council members and a Cabinet minister.
The council’s plan to oust Fils-Aimé for reasons not made public appeared to fall to the wayside as it stepped down in an official ceremony on Saturday.
“We need to put our personal interest to the side and continue progress for security,” said the council's outgoing president, Laurent Saint-Cyr, who rejected a push to dismiss the prime minister.
Fils-Aimé spoke briefly, saying he would address the nation later in the day.
“The presidential council has done its work by paving the way for a governance mindful of security and electoral issues,” he said.
On Saturday evening, in a rare move for a Haitian prime minister, Fils-Aimé spoke at the hour announced and promised to establish security, hold elections and develop an emergency humanitarian plan to provide food, care and shelter for the most vulnerable.
“The suffering of the population demands immediate action,” he said, stressing that Haitians must unite.
Fils-Aimé, who was flanked by police and army officials, also pledged to make Haiti a safer place. More than 8,100 killings were reported across the country of nearly 11 million people from January to November last year, according to the United Nations, which warned those figures are underreported.
“The gangs and those who support them will be hunted down, one by one. Every occupied area will be retaken, until the day every child walks to school without fear,” he said.
However, Fils-Aimé acknowledged that Haiti has reached what he called a dangerous crossroads.
"The coming days will be demanding," he said. “I don't promise miracles.”
Da Rin said negotiations are ongoing to decide what, if anything, would replace the council as a new multinational security mission prepares to transform a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police that was understaffed and underfunded.
“Clarity on who will govern Haiti is essential,” Da Rin wrote in a recent essay. “Countries contributing to this force will want to know they are working alongside a government whose legitimacy is undisputed.”
Feb. 7 is a historic date for Haiti that marks the start of democratic rule after a nearly 30-year dictatorship. It’s also when presidents are traditionally sworn in.
But Haiti failed to hold general elections on Saturday as envisioned a couple of years ago, with gang violence gripping much of the capital and swaths of land in the country’s central region. Tentative dates were announced for August and December, but many believe it’s unlikely an election and a runoff will be held this year.
The council was established in April 2024, nearly three years after President Jovenel Moïse was killed at his residence, throwing Haiti into widespread upheaval.
At the time, former Prime Minister Ariel Henry was unable to return to Haiti following an official trip to Kenya because a powerful gang coalition had attacked key state infrastructure over the course of several days, forcing the country’s main international airport to close for nearly three months.
The council was created after Caribbean leaders and U.S. officials urgently met in Jamaica to build a framework for a political transition after Henry resigned.
Council members had long pledged to quell gang violence and improve life for Haiti but fell overwhelmingly short.
“The government has been unable to push back criminal gangs that control most of Port-au-Prince and have expanded into other areas,” Da Rin noted.
The council also was rocked by accusations of corruption, with a government agency accusing three members of bribery in late 2024.
As the council stepped down on Saturday, André Joseph, 42, a street vendor who was selling candy outside their government offices celebrated. He currently lives in a makeshift shelter — one of 1.4 million people displaced by gang violence — and said he wants to return home.
“Their time is up. They were there nearly two years and didn’t do anything for the country,” he said of the council. “Haiti needs to move on with a better government in charge that could lead the country into a better direction.”
Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Presidential Council Chair Laurent Saint-Cyr speaks during a ceremony marking the end of the transitional council's almost two-year rule, in Port-au-Prince, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé speaks during the ceremony marking the end of the presidential council in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Members of Haiti's presidential council receive bouquets of flowers at a ceremony marking the end of their almost two-year rule, in Port-au-Prince, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Haiti's Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, front row, left, and his cabinet pose for a group photo with members of the presidential council at a ceremony marking the end of their almost two-year rule, in Port-au-Prince, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Presidential Council Chair Laurent Saint-Cyr speaks during a ceremony marking the end of the transitional council's almost two-year rule, in Port-au-Prince, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé speaks during the ceremony marking the end of the presidential council in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Members of Haiti's presidential council receive bouquets of flowers at a ceremony marking the end of their almost two-year rule, in Port-au-Prince, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Haiti's Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, front row, left, and his cabinet pose for a group photo with members of the presidential council at a ceremony marking the end of their almost two-year rule, in Port-au-Prince, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, center, salutes as he arrives for a ceremony marking the end of the presidential council in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
