Prepare Your Home for Winter Weather

 

Although California is known for its warm and sunny weather even in the winter time, our region’s weather is constantly unpredictable. We can be blasting the air conditioner on a hot day in the beginning of the week and lighting the fire to keep us warm from freezing weather at the end of the week. Now that we are almost hitting the winter season, we will see more rain at irregular patterns. Our sunny state provides relief for many of us since Californians do not face as many problems as other regions in the country that have worse winter weather. However, this can discourage people from being prepared for emergencies in the first place. At Allstate Burbank, we cannot emphasize enough how even the slightest preparation goes a long way. From safety supplies to home insurance, preparing your home for stormy weather with these tips from the American Red Cross can assure your family remains safe and your economic stability stays intact.

Inspect and Prepare your Home Before the Rain Comes

There are many tasks involved in maintaining your home during the rainy seasons, but the investment in preparation now means prevention of damage to both your house and wallet later. Take these easy steps to prepare your home for the winter weather that brings in harsh winds and heavy downpour:

1. Check your gutters to see if any clogs need to be cleaned or any repairs need to be made to prevent any rainwater backup to your roof and home.
2. Inspect your roof for any loose shingles or damages that may cause water to leak into your home.
3. Check the interior ceilings and walls for any signs of potential water damage caused by roof leaks.
4. Trim your yard’s trees and bushes to prevent any branches from being weighed down by water or wind that can strike and damage your home.
5. Secure every door and window to make sure water does not leak through open gaps and a draft does not chill your home. You may need to install weather strips if necessary.

Prepare an Safety Kit & Plan for Emergencies

In the case of a prolonged or widespread power outage caused by a storm, you will want to put together an emergency preparedness kit that covers up to 2 weeks of supplies of the following items:

• Water - The most important thing in an emergency is to stay hydrated, 1 gallon per person a day
• Food - Make sure to pack non-perishable items that are easy to prepare and do not need any cooking tools to make
• Flashlights and lamps - These are the safest option for light, candles should be a last priority since they can be risk of fire and can make the emergency worse
• Blankets ­– Stocking both regular blankets as well as special emergency blankets are essential and possibly live-saving if you’re out power during a cold winter storm
• Radio - A battery-powered or hand-crank radio are your best options since a plug-in radio will not be able to work during a power outage
• Extra batteries - Some of the smallest tools that use batteries you do not normally use can be extremely beneficial during an emergency
• First aid kit and medications - Injuries can be unpredictable and deadly but even minor attention and treatment can save lives
• Hygiene items  - items for sanitation and personal hygiene can help prevent any illnesses during an emergency
• Multipurpose tools - Hardware stores sell various brands and types of these tools including Swiss army knives
• Cell phone with charger - In the case that the power returns in a disaster, you will need to inform authorities of your present state as soon as possible
• Copies of personal documents - In the case you lose important files and documents, make sure to make copies of birth certificates, insurance policies, home deeds and leases
• Emergency contact information - Organize a list of contact information of family or friends you will need to contact for assistance or to update your status
• Backup power generator - You may need electric power for any life-sustaining equipment for someone in your home whose health or lifestyle is dependent on electricity

Keep a designated location in your garage or possibly your attic or basement for your emergency kit and supplies. The effort to do organize for emergencies will pay off from the smallest of occasions to large-scale events.

Preserve your Food

If you are ever to face a power outage during a storm, you will need the following supplies to keep your food cold:

• Coolers - All types of ice chests including styrofoam coolers will help preserve any perishable food items
• Ice - You can use ice in your cooler to keep your food cold during a prolonged blackout, or you can pack your refrigerator with ice
• Digital thermometer - Check the internal temperature of your food to determine whether or not the food is cold enough to safely use

Even if you were to not have enough ice or any at all, both the refrigerator and freezer can store items for a specific amount of time if their doors were to remain closed. A refrigerator can keep food cold for about 4 hours and freezer can keep food cold between 24 - 48 hours. Food should be taken from the refrigerator first then the freezer, and if the power outage seems to continue beyond a day, a cooler with ice should be prepared for the remaining freezer items.

Electrical and Gas Equipment Safety

During a storm, you should make sure you have any unnecessary electronics turned off to prevent creating an emergency in the first place. However, it is very crucial that in an actually emergency you want to unplug every electronic you have in the house. This includes appliances such as stoves and microwaves, because surges or spikes can damage your equipment when the power returns to your home. You are going to want to keep only one light on during a blackout which should be one of the light switches and not a plugged appliance.

Under no circumstances should you use a grill, stove or other gasoline, propane or natural gas devices anywhere inside your home or closed area during a blackout. Whether it’s a storm or even an earthquake which can happen anytime, a gas leak can occur and put your entire home at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, electric shock or fire. There are carbon monoxide alarms you can purchase and install in central locations of every level of your home that can provide early warnings of accumulating carbon monoxide. In this case, you would have to move as quickly and safely as possible to a fresh air location. If outdoors is not safe then move to the closest open window or door.

When Your Power Returns

A wave of relief may hit you when your power returns after an outage. However, you must still remain careful. Evaluate every electronic or gas equipment in your home before reusing them. For the time being, keep unnecessary electronics unplugged until your home has been thoroughly evaluated. If there are any exposed electrical power lines, keep everyone away and report both exposed power lines and downed power lines outside to the appropriate officials.

Any food that has been exposed to warm temperatures for at least 2 hours should be thrown away as well as items that have unusual odors, colors or textures. If there are any items that you may not be sure about, it is best to simply throw them away just to be safe. Under no circumstances should you taste food as a method of testing their safety. Even if food looks and smells fine, bacteria that cause food borne illnesses could have been growing on food items had they been left at room temperature for too long.

Homeowner’s Insurance will Keep You Stable

With all this preparation that will keep you supported during an emergency like a power outage from a storm, your economic stability can still be in jeopardy if you were not properly insured. Allstate Home Insurance in Burbank covers storm damage and depending on your policy, we will be able to keep you standing and help you save as much money as we possibly can.

The following is what your homeowner’s insurance policy can cover for bad weather with Allstate Burbank:

• Water & ice damage - Even if there is not a storm with heavy downpour or hail, ice coveting your roof in the winter can cause water damage to your home, and homeowner’s insurance can protect you if a pipe bursts from either being frozen or the result of a storm
• Lightning & power surge damage - If your home or another structure covered by your policy is struck by lightning and causes damage due to a fire or smoke, the damage may be covered by your insurance policy. You may also be covered for damage to electronics or appliances due to a power surge or outage depending on the limits of your policy
• Wind & fallen trees - Wind damage is typically covered by homeowners insurance protecting your wallet from any structural damage which also includes damage from fallen trees caused by a storm or wind

Stay Safe and Prepared with Allstate

Your family’s safety and home’s stability are essential to hold up the foundation to your life. With the uncontrollable situations and emergencies that are inevitable in the winter weather, you will need to make sure you are as ready as you can be. The tips in emergency preparation we provided will help you during a disaster, but homeowner’s insurance will guide you through post-disaster. Your coverage can determine whether your family’s future is kept intact. Even if your house has fallen apart, Allstate home insurance in Burbank will provide coverage that will keep your family’s lives together.

Get in touch with me to learn more about how Allstate Burbank can protect you, and make sure to visit me on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter to stay updated on all the latest news from Allstate.