Snow and ice storms can quickly create dangerous situations and cause major issues for homeowners. A blizzard can bring strong winds greater than 35 mph and reduce visibility to less than 1/4 of a mile. After a blizzard has passed, high winds can create whiteouts and snowdrifts.
These conditions can make travel impossible, leaving individuals stranded at home or in vehicles and sometimes without power or resources. Before you get caught off guard this winter, here’s how to prepare for a winter storm.
Snow and ice storms can quickly create dangerous situations and cause major issues for homeowners. Stay safe with these action items.
From snow to ice to freezing and flooding, you should prepare your primary home and any secondary properties at risk of severe winter weather.
Your emergency kit should include:
Having an emergency kit in your car is essential in case of bad weather on the road. Things to keep in your car emergency kit:
Keep your car running well with routine maintenance. Fill up with gas and check the battery and tires before a storm hits.
Traveling during winter weather? Read our holiday travel safety guide here.
Keep enough food and water for each person and pet in your family. The Weather Channel recommends at least three days’ worth. For water, that means about 3 gallons per person or pet.
Remember to include hygiene products, cleaning supplies, prescriptions, pet food, cat litter or doggie pads, baby formula, diapers, and wipes—whichever applies to you.
Weatherize your home and yard before the winter season hits. Things like improving insulation in the attic, around doors, and windows can help keep more heat inside during a storm.
Before a storm, you can line doors and windows with rolled blankets or towels to keep out any cold drafts.
Whenever possible, bring your pets indoors to keep them warm and safe. If you can’t bring pets inside, they should have proper shelter and access to food and water that isn’t frozen. Snow fences can also clear paths by preventing snow drifts to barns or shelters.
Inspect your roof, gutters, and chimney before a winter storm. If you plan to use your chimney this winter to stay warm, have it cleaned and inspected before you use it. Stock up on wood at the start of the season.
Likewise, make sure your yard and any trees don’t pose any hazards to your home. If you have large branches or rotting trees that may damage your home or power lines during an ice storm, arrange for their trimming or removal in advance.
If you experience a bad winter storm, you could be stuck at home with no power for days. Knowing how to prepare and what to do could be lifesaving.
Even if you live in a warmer area, there’s still a chance cold weather could hit and cause problems, as seen with the Texas snowstorm of 2021.
Besides the above tips for winter storm prep, here’s what to do if you lose power:
If the power goes out, you’ll need more lights and batteries to charge what you need. Battery-powered lanterns are great to have, too. Make sure you have these with your emergency kit.
If power is likely to go out, lower your refrigerator temperature ahead of time. This will help keep your food cooler for longer.
A power bank can charge your phone when you don’t have power. Keep one or two of these fully charged and ready before a storm so you can charge your phone in case of emergencies. Also, if you’re able, you can charge your phone in your car with a car charger if the power is out.
If your home uses an electric water pump, you’ll need extra water on hand for hygiene. Sanitize your bathtub and fill it with water if the power goes out.
If you can, check in on your neighbors, family, and friends, especially those with young children or the elderly. They are especially at risk during snow storms and may need help.
You must watch out for more than snow and ice: extreme cold temperatures are just as dangerous. Extreme temperature drops and winter storms can increase the risks of frostbite, hypothermia, and accidents. They can also increase the chance of damage to your home and pipes.
Follow these winter safety tips to prevent damage to your home and protect yourself in extreme cold:
If the temperature drops below freezing for an extended period of time, pay attention to your pipes. The water in the pipes could freeze, cutting off your water supply and risking damage to your pipes. Then, when the water thaws, it may cause the pipes to burst and flood your home.
Here’s how to prevent this from happening:
Ice dams occur when snow on the roof goes through a cycle of melting and freezing. This can cause interior water damage to your attic and interior walls and ceilings.
Here are the steps you should take before a winter storm to prevent damage:
When it’s extremely cold outside, or the power goes out, you may need to use a space heater, generator, or fireplace. These need to be properly used, or they can pose a severe risk.
Some best practices to stay warm:
At Vault, we know risk education and mitigation are key to reducing the severity of loss. Protecting your assets is more than insuring them. It’s looking at the bigger picture to reduce all possible risks. We provide all-encompassing risk management services to help proactively safeguard the life you’ve built – that’s the Vault difference.
Our Claims team is standing by and ready to assist 24/7. They can be reached at 1-844-388-LOSS (5677) or ClaimsFNOL@vault.insurance .
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Related Products: Homeowners Insurance
Snow and ice storms can create dangerous situations quickly, causing major issues for homeowners. Stay safe with these action items:
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