How to Prepare Your Home for a Blizzard
Preparing your home for a blizzard is best done long before a heavy winter storm snows you in, freezes the pipes and cuts off the power. Depending on the potential severity of storms in your area, your preparations might range from stocking up the larder to acquiring a generator. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Insulation sheets, newspapers or bubble wrap
- Building materials
- Portable heater and fuel
- Camping lights
- Flashlight
- Spare batteries
- Battery-operated radio
- Canned food
- Blankets
- Shovel
- First aid kit
- Empty bottles
- Straw
- Plastic ball
- Books, cards and board games
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Instructions
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Check your roof. If you have any loose slates or shingles or you are unsure whether it can bear a heavy load of snow, hire a contractor to examine the roof and fix it, if necessary.
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Winterize pipes. Wrap them in insulation sheets, bubble wrap or newspapers. Also loosen all your faucets so they drip a little. Pipes burst during winter storms because ice expands; a release for the increased pressure reduces the risk.
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Seal gaps. Caulk gaps around windows, block up unused chimneys and fit weather stripping on external doors.
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Acquire a portable, vented heater and a supply of fuel. Check that the heater meets current safety standards, especially if you are buying second-hand.
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Obtain battery-operated items, including lights such as camping lights and a flashlight, and a radio. Power and phone lines get cut off during severe storms. Despite the Internet making communication fast and easy, the only reliable way to get news in severe storms is through radio updates.
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Prepare food supplies. At the least, you need enough canned and dried food to last you for several days in the event you are snowed in. Also, acquire extra blankets to keep you warm if you have electric heating, a shovel to clear the snow after the blizzard and a first aid kit.
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Fill clean, empty bottles with water. Melting snow to drink when pipes burst is time-consuming and not always hygienic.
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Ensure the accommodation for any animals housed outside is weatherproof and insulated, and that you have plenty of bedding. Straw is a warm material suitable for most animals, including pigs, goats and hens so add extra to their sleeping areas. Check that hutch or shed roofs are securely screwed down. If you have animals that you can take inside, such as pet rabbits, acquire a suitable cage and move them before a blizzard strikes.
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Place a football or other plastic ball in your pond to help stop ice from developing and to allow oxygen for fish. Don’t worry, however, if the pond freezes over. Cold-water fish adapt to winter weather. Remember not to break the ice. This sends vibrations through the pond that can shock fish.
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Stock up on entertainment that does not require electricity. Being snowed in gets boring. Books, a pack of cards, jigsaws and board games can make all the difference, and are available cheaply from thrift shops and bargain stores.
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Tips & Warnings
If a power outage means the food in your fridge and freezer is at risk of spoiling, you can store it outside in plastic bags. Wrap the foods thoroughly and push chilled foods, such as milk or cheese, into the snow. Put frozen food in the shade above the snow. Snow has an insulating effect and the temperature beneath the snow is actually higher than that above. Put a thermometer on top of the frozen food if you are concerned. As long as the temperature remains below zero Fahrenheit, the food should be safe. Do not, however, refreeze afterward. Eat the foods as quickly as you can.
Consider installing your own generator and a wood stove if blizzards are, or have become, a regular event in your area.
Be careful with candles and portable heaters. Don’t leave them unattended or position them near flammable materials. If you don’t already have fire extinguishers, acquire at least two.
References
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