My inbox has been filling up with last minute tips for staying healthy and safe during the superstorm.

With strong winds, rain and snow courtesy of Hurricane Sandy expecting to cause power outages and damage to our communities in Southwest Virginia, here are some of those tips:

• The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among others, want to make sure people are well versed in food safety. Food writer Lindsey Nair has summed up those tips on her blog.
• The Virginia Department of Health has cancelled its flu vaccine clinic at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville today because of the hurricane.
• The Virginia Mountain Region of the American Red Cross issued a press release this morning reminding people of its recently created phone apps to help guide people to emergency shelter, provide first aid and preparing for severe weather. Additionally, the Red Cross has made an appeal for blood donations.
• Aetna, the health insurer, has taken a number of steps to make accommodations for policy holders, including helping people refill prescriptions early, maintaining access to employee assistance and behavioral health programs, and extending claim and appeal filing times. Most of these steps appear to be geared to people who have had to evacuate their homes, but it is a reminder to check with your health insurance company if you have questions.
• The dialysis provider, Fresenius Medical Care of North America, has set up a hotline for anyone in need of dialysis treatment. The hotline (1-800-626-1297) is staffed to help people find a treatment center if  their normal facility is closed.
• The Virginia Department of Health has these cold weather safety tips, including how to detect, and avoid hypothermia and frostbite.