Winter Weather Preparedness Tips

In preparation of this weekend’s winter weather event, please consider the following preparedness tips and utilize the links provided to find out more details.

BEFORE THE EVENT

• Before winter approaches, add the following supplies to your emergency kit:
  • Rock salt or more environmentally safe products to melt ice on walkways. Visit the Environmental Protection Agency for a complete list of recommended products.
  • Sand to improve traction.
  • Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment.
  • Sufficient heating fuel. You may become isolated in your home and regular fuel sources may be cut off. Store a good supply of dry, seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove.
  • Adequate clothing and blankets to keep you warm.
• Make a Family Communications Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency.
• Minimize travel. If travel is necessary, keep a disaster supplies kit in your vehicle.
• Bring pets/companion animals inside during winter weather. Move other animals or livestock to sheltered areas with non-frozen drinking water.

Update the emergency kits with:

• A shovel
• Windshield scraper and small broom
• Flashlight
• Battery powered radio
• Extra batteries
• Water
• Snack food
• Matches
• Extra hats, socks and mittens
• First aid kit with pocket knife
• Necessary medications
• Blanket(s)
• Tow chain or rope
• Road salt and sand
• Booster cables
• Emergency flares
• Fluorescent distress flag

Prepare Your Home

• Clear rain gutters; repair roof leaks and cut away tree branches that could fall on a house or other structure during a storm.
• Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected every year.
• Insulate pipes with insulation or newspapers and plastic and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing. Running water, even at a trickle, helps prevent pipes from freezing.
• All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside and kept clear.
• Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional risk, as more people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the necessary safety precautions.
• Learn how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).

DURING THE EVENT

• Stay indoors during the storm.
• Walk carefully on snowy, icy, walkways.
• Consider leaving a faucet dripping to prevent pipes from freezing
• Keep dry. Change wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat. Wet clothing loses all of its insulating value and transmits heat rapidly.
• Signs of Frostbite: Occurs when the skin and body tissue just beneath it freezes. Loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities, such as fingers, toes, earlobes, face, and the tip of the nose.
• What to Do: Cover exposed skin, but do not rub the affected area in an attempt to warm it up. Seek medical help immediately.
• Signs of Hypothermia: Dangerously low body temperature. Uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion.
• DO NOT DRIVE unless it is absolutely necessary. If you must drive: travel in the day; don’t travel alone; keep others informed of your schedule; stay on main roads and avoid back road shortcuts.
• Let someone know your destination, your route, and when you expect to arrive. If your car gets stuck along the way, help can be sent along your predetermined route.
• If the pipes freeze, remove any insulation or layers of newspapers and wrap pipes in rags. Completely open all faucets and pour hot water over the pipes, starting where they were most exposed to the cold (or where the cold was most likely to penetrate).
• Maintain ventilation when using kerosene heaters to avoid build-up of toxic fumes. Refuel kerosene heaters outside and keep them at least three feet from flammable objects.
• Conserve fuel, if necessary, by keeping your residence cooler than normal. Temporarily close off heat to some rooms.
• If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.

To keep up to date on the pending winter weather system and during any severe weather event, check the following sources:
http://www.weather.gov/rah/
https://www.facebook.com/NWSRaleigh/
https://www.facebook.com/NCEmergencyManagement
https://www.facebook.com/OCNCEmergency
@NCEmergency on Twitter
@NWSRaleigh on Twitter
@OCNCEmergency on Twitter