Protect your home and business in winterWith high winds and bitterly cold temperatures forecasted for tonight and tomorrow, we want to offer some tips and reminders to help keep you, your family, and your property safe.

  • Please take note of the following suggestions to prevent these hazardous (and potentially costly) accidents.
  • Frozen and bursting pipes – Keep thermostats set to a minimum of 65°F. Leave faucets with pipes exposed to an outside wall or in poorly insulated areas running at a slow trickle to relieve water pressure. Read more on avoiding and dealing with burst pipes here.
  • Fire caused by alternative heat sources – If you use a wood stove as a source of heat, check out these wood-stove safety tips. Be aware, ashes from wood stoves and fireplaces can remain hot for up to five days. Store ashes outside in a fireproof container.
  • Space Heaters – If you use a space heater, keep it a safe distance from any flammable materials and only plug it directly into a wall outlet. Do not plug them into a power strip. Power strips cannot handle the high loads required to operate space heaters and may overheat and catch fire.
  • Slips and falls – Keep walkways and driveways cleared of ice and snow to prevent slips and falls.

Practice Safe Winter Driving

In order to avoid potentially dangerous driving situations, follow these best practices:

  • Prepare your car for the weather. For tips on how you can get your car ready, click here.
  • Monitor weather reports. Plan your best route and allow more travel time to your destination.
  • Turn on your lights when driving during the day as winter daylight can be dim.