In many areas across the country, winter weather has already made an appearance. With winter storms popping up, it’s important to be prepared to keep yourself and your family safe. Blizzards and winter storm warnings can bring blustery winter conditions with lots of snowfall, sustained winds, and low temperatures, which can be severe and even life-threatening. Due to the unpredictable weather, taking the proper precautions to determine what emergency essentials are necessary is crucial.
Check out some of our tips and emergency essentials for keeping your home and family safe during unexpected winter weather.
Get a Family Plan in Place
Protecting your family is crucial. If a winter storm watch or warning is in place, it’s important to have a family plan in place. Discuss winter storms ahead of time and have a family plan to ensure everyone knows what to do in the event of a winter storm watch or warning.
Store Essentials in your Vehicle
It’s important to keep winter weather essentials in your car in the case of emergency. Be sure that your wipers and windshield washer fluid is full, you have a windshield scraper and small broom, matches in a waterproof container, and an emergency supply kit, including warm clothing. We also recommend keeping your vehicle’s gas tank full so you can leave right away in an emergency. This will also keep the fuel line from freezing. You may want to keep non-perishable food, too, in the event that you are stranded in a snowstorm.
As always, if there is a blizzard or snow storm warning, we recommend staying at home if possible. It’s much safer to stay at home than be out on the slippery, icy roads.
Winter Weather Essentials in your Home
We recommend making your own emergency kit, which includes candles, flashlights, and blankets if there is a power outage. You’ll also want to include a first aid kit, extra batteries, and warm clothing. If you lose power regularly, you may want to consider investing in a generator system.
Protect your Home & Gutters
The gutter experts at LeafFilter recommend making sure your gutters are cleared before the first snowfall. If they become clogged with leaves an debris, coupled with the weight of the snow and ice, could cause your gutters to pull away from the siding! This could cause water to get into areas it shouldn’t, like the foundation of your home or your basement.
A gutter protection system, like LeafFilter, can keep your gutters clear and clog-free, and stronger than ever, holding up to the heavy loads of snow and ice.
Keep your Pipes from Freezing
Outdoor water faucets should be turned off to prevent frozen or cracked exterior pipes. Remove, drain, and store hoses used outdoors and close inside valves supplying outdoor hose bibs. Add insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces to maintain a higher temperature in these areas. Check out all of our winter plumbing tips!
Having these essentials and using these tips should keep your entire family and home safe in the event of a winter storm warning or watch.
