With 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.
