Residents living in Nebraska and South Dakota are familiar with extreme weather. We’ve surely seen our share of snow and extreme winter temperatures in the past, but even so, it’s never a bad idea to brush up on some extreme weather safety tips. When you’re informed about how to act in inclement weather conditions, you might just save your life—or someone else’s.
As we enter the coldest months of the year, you should be preparing to see a strong arctic front in our area. According to the Famers’ Almanac, the North Central United States should expect to see frigid temperatures, snow, and storms. We must prepare for these conditions this season.
Remember the 4 P’s
When inclement weather comes, it’s easy to get frazzled and stressed. However, when you remember the 4 P’s, you’ll always have quick access to the information you need to remember, even when you’re feeling stressed about the weather.
- People: Ensure all of your family members and any neighbors or loved ones have the necessary supplies. Make sure that the people close to you have food, blankets, water, etc.
- Pets: Whether you’ve got a cat, a dog, a horse, or any other outside animal, make sure they have access to food, water, and shelter.
- Pipes: When extreme winter weather comes, be sure to cover your pipes. Also, don’t turn your pipes all the way off, keep a little trickle going as moving water is harder to freeze.
- Plants: Plants are living creatures, too, so cover or bring them inside during extreme winter weather.
Layer Up
The more layers you wear, the more heat yougets trap against your body. Therefore, be sure to wear warm and breathable fabrics underneath sturdy, waterproof outerwear. If you’re going to have to venture out into the snow, be sure to avoid cotton-based fabrics, like denim. These will more easily soak up water and leave you cold and at risk.
Practice Space Heater Safety
You want to stay warm during arctic fronts, but in your efforts to stay warm to stay safe, don’t put your safety at risk! That is, if you don’t practice safe space heater practices, you might be doing more harm than good. Here are some safe space heater practices to keep in mind:
- Don’t Plug Anything Else into Outlet: Need to charge your phone? Don’t do it in the same outlet that your space heater is already plugged into. No matter what you need to plug in, don’t do it if there’s a space heater plug in that outlet already.
- Keep 3ft of Space around the Space Heater: Don’t put anything too close to your heater. Even if you think that the item you put near the space heater is not flammable, don’t take the risk.
- Don’t Leave the Heater Unattended: Even if it’s tempting to keep the heater on while you sleep, don’t leave it on unless someone is watching it all night.
Insulate Your Home
As much as layers of clothes help us stay warm, things like double-paned windows help protect your home from outdoor temperatures. If you feel drafts coming from your doors or windows, keep them covered. Use curtains, blankets, or whatever you have to stop the cold air from coming in. If your home has older windows, try using silicon caulking or adhesive rubber strips to help seal your windows.
Avoid Travel
Cars and icy roads don’t mix. Extreme cold has a big impact on your car’s battery, oil and gas, tire pressure, and more. Not only that, but inclement weather means reduced visibility. If you stay outside too long during extreme cold, you make yourself susceptible to frostbite and even hypothermia. Staying inside is the safest option until better conditions arise.
Unplug Electronics in Power Outages
During power outages, unplug all of your sensitive electronics. Sometimes, when power comes back on, there can be a power surge. When this happens, your electronics can get damaged, which you want to avoid.
Keep warm this winter, and more importantly, stay safe. No matter what winter throws our way this season, your independent Northeast Nebraska Insurance agent is just a call away should you need to file a claim.