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When you are outside
Hypothermia and frostbite are dangers during cold weather, making personal protection essential.
1. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight layers of warm clothing.
2. Wear a hat and try to remain dry and sheltered from wind.
3. Protect your lungs from extreme cold by covering your mouth.
4. Mittens that fit snugly at the wrist work better than gloves.
Ice Safety
1. Only a brief period of ice-forming weather has occurred so far. Ice thickness and firmness have not yet developed sufficiently.
2. Staying off the ice is the recommended course of action at present.
Preventing frozen pipes on exterior walls:
1. Allow hot and cold water to trickle or drip from a faucet during the night.
2. Open cabinet doors beneath sinks or near outer walls to allow heat to reach uninsulated pipes.
3. Ensure heat remains on and is set to no lower than 55 degrees.
4. When away from home: (1) Arrange for someone to check your house daily and verify the heat remains on to prevent freezing, or (2) drain and shut off the water system (except indoor sprinkler systems).
If Pipes Freeze:
1. Your family should know how to shut off the water in case pipes burst.
2. NEVER use an open flame or torch to thaw a pipe. A hair dryer is a safe alternative.
3. Be cautious of electric shock risks in and around standing water.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is a silent and deadly threat that kills approximately 1,000 people annually in the United States.
1. Install a carbon monoxide detector.
2. NEVER run generators inside.
3. Slightly open a window when operating a kerosene heater and follow manufacturer’s instructions.
4. NEVER use a gas oven as a heating source for your home.
5. If your heat fails, keep warm indoors by closing off unused rooms, dressing in layers of lightweight clothing, and wearing a cap.
Wood-burning stoves, fireplaces and heaters:
1. Always place a screen around an open flame.
2. NEVER use gasoline to start your fireplace.
3. NEVER burn charcoal indoors.
4. Do not close the damper while ashes remain hot.
5. Rely only on safe alternative heat sources such as a fireplace, small well-vented wood or coal stove, or portable space heaters. Always follow manufacturer’s instructions.
For more information, please visit: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/winter/index.shtml and http://www.ready.gov/winter-weather