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 “Severe winter weather can be dangerous and even life-threatening
for people who don't take the proper precautions,” said FEMA Region
V acting administrator Janet Odeshoo. “Preparedness begins with
knowing your risks, making a communications plan with your family
and having an emergency supply kit with essentials such as water,
food, flashlights and medications.”
Once you’ve taken these steps, consider going beyond the basics of
disaster preparedness with the following tips to stay safe this cold
season:
Winterize your emergency supply kit:
Before winter approaches, add the following items to your
supply kit:
- Rock salt or other 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 and/or a good supply of dry,
seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove.
- Adequate clothing and blankets to keep you warm.
Stay fire safe:
- Keep flammable items at least three feet from heat
sources like radiators, space heaters, fireplaces and wood
stoves.
- Plug only one heat-producing appliance (such as a space
heater) into an electrical outlet at a time.
- Ensure you have a working smoke alarm on every level of
your home. Check it on a monthly basis.
Keep warm, even when it’s cold outside:
- If you have a furnace, have it inspected now to
ensure it’s in good working condition.
- If your home heating requires propane gas, stock up
on your propane supply and ensure you have enough to
last an entire winter. Many homeowners faced shortages
due to the record freezing winter weather last year, and
this season there’s the possibility of lower than normal
temperatures again. Don’t be caught unprepared.
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- Avoid the dangers of carbon monoxide by installing
battery-powered or battery back-up carbon monoxide detectors.
- Winterize your home to extend the life of your fuel supply
by insulating walls and attics, caulking and weather-stripping
doors and windows, and installing storm windows or covering
windows with plastic.
Prevent frozen pipes:
- If your pipes are vulnerable to freezing, i.e., they run
through an unheated or unprotected space, consider keeping
your faucet at a slow drip when extremely cold temperatures
are predicted.
- If you’re planning a trip this winter, avoid setting
your heat too low. If temperatures dip dangerously low while
you’re away, that could cause pipes to freeze. Consider
draining your home’s water system before leaving as another
way to avoid frozen pipes.
You can always find valuable information to help you
prepare for winter emergencies at www.ready.gov/winter-weather.
Bookmark FEMA’s mobile site http://m.fema.gov, or download
the FEMA app today to have vital information just one click
away.
FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first
responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to
build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for,
protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all
hazards.
[Federal Emergency Management Agency]
Follow FEMA online at
twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and
www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig
Fugate's activities attwitter.com/craigatfema. The social
media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not
endorse any non-government websites, companies or
applications. |
