Prepare for power and water outages and prepare to stay at home during and immediately after winter storms unless ordered to evacuate.
- Maintain an ample supply of food which requires no cooking or refrigeration in the event of power failures.
- Learn to use emergency cooking and heating equipment safely in well-ventilated areas.
- Remember to charge cell phones before a storm.
- Store extra batteries and alternative light sources.
- Store water to use if pipes freeze or a boil water notice is issued. Fill up bathtubs and other containers before a storm to use for flushing toilets and bathing.
- Keep at least a 1-week supply of prescriptions, diapers, toilet paper, and other personal hygiene items on hand.
- Stock up on ice melt salt at the beginning of the winter season and make sure you have the tools you need for ice and snow removal.
- Keep an adequate supply of warm clothing and bedding for each household member.
- Prepare your car with emergency supplies in case you need to leave and in case you get stranded.
- Know the signs of hypothermia and frostbite.
In the event of a furnace failure, do the following to maintain minimum heat levels:
- Use an alternate heat source.
- Close off rooms which are not absolutely needed.
- Hang blankets over windows at night (let the sunshine in during the day). Stuff cracks around doors with rugs, newspapers, towels, or other similar materials.
IN MILD CLIMATES, homes are not built for extremely cold temperatures. Keep pipes from freezing both inside and out. Wrap the pipes in insulation made especially for water pipes, or in layers of old newspaper or towels, lapping the ends, and securing them around the pipes. Cover newspapers or towels on outside pipes with plastic to keep out moisture.
When it is extremely cold and temperatures will be below 32oF day and night for more than 12 hours, let the faucet that is furthest from the water inlet to the house drip or run a small stream. Drip both hot and cold water. Hot water will freeze first because it doesn’t have as much air in it. If you have sinks against an exterior wall, leave the cabinet doors open beneath the sinks to let in warm air during times of extreme cold. Drip faucets on north-facing walls, especially, when there is a strong north wind. Run faucets every 2 or 3 hours to break up any ice that might be forming.
Know where the valve to shut off water coming into the house or apartment is located. You may, as a last resort, have to shut off this main valve and drain all the pipes to keep them from freezing and bursting. When turning the water back on, do so slowly, with faucets open, to avoid damaging pipes and toilets.
Shut off the water inlet valve to your sprinkler system and drain the system to prevent broken pipes in the system. If it’s not possible to drain the sprinkler system, wrap or insulate the backflow preventer which stands above ground with a water heater blanket, insulation, or other materials and cover with plastic.
Detach hoses from outside faucets. Wrap outside faucets only if the pipes that feed them are well insulated. Otherwise, wrap the neck of the faucet and let it drip when outside temperatures will be below 28oF for 3 hours or more. Make sure the wrap or insulation is water resistant.
If pipes freeze despite efforts to prevent it, open faucets wide to allow for expansion of the frozen water as it melts. It is when the melting ice has no place to go that pipes break.
Do not scalp lawns before winter. Leave grass a little long to encourage longer roots. When roots are longer there is less chance of permanent damage or winter kill.
References:
Diane Cowen, “Houston freeze 2022: How to prevent pipes from bursting,” Houston Chronicle e-Edition, 20 December 2022, updated 22 December 2022
Chiana Dickson, “Should I let my outdoor faucet drip to prevent freezing?” www.homesandgardens.com, 22 December 2022