With temperatures cooling, it’s a great time to review cold weather tips:
- Check on elderly family members, friends, or neighbors. Elderly people and those with serious medical conditions are at risk. Please be sure to check in on community members that might be vulnerable.
- Bring your pets inside when temperatures start to dip near freezing. A dog or cat left outside in severe cold weather can die quickly from exposure. Except for exercise and walks, all dogs and cats are safer indoors during the winter. Make sure they have a warm draft-free place indoors with a dry mat or blanket that they can lie on.
- Carbon monoxide is a “silent killer.” It is not OK to heat the inside of your home with any kind of BBQ, propane heater, or any other fuel-fired equipment. Only use heaters installed with your home and those designed to be used indoors. Make sure that your natural gas furnaces and other appliances are in good, clean working order.
- Insulate outdoor pipes that lead into your home to prevent freezing. Seal with caulk around the pipes that lead into and out of your home. Inside your home, leave bathroom and under-sink cabinets open to help warm the water. If your pipes freeze, leave your tap on and call the plumber. You can defrost your pipes using a hair dryer on a low setting, working your way slowly from the faucet to where your pipe enters the wall. County residents who need to have their water turned off in order to make repairs to their lines may call 311 or 916-875-RAIN or 875-7246 for more information.
- When raining, reduce your vehicle speed. Wet roads increase the distance and time needed to stop your vehicle. Also, if the temperature stays below 32 degrees, there is a high probability that black ice will form. Be extra cautious when going over bridges and/or overpasses. Give yourself extra spacing between vehicles in front of you.
- Watch for tree limbs. As temperatures dip, trees become vulnerable to limbs snapping. In such instances, County residents can call 311 or 916-875-4311 for more information.
- Prepare for wind. Secure yard items that may blow around. For downed power lines, stay away and call 9-1-1 immediately. Prepare now for the possibility of loss of power.
- Sign-up for Emergency Alerts. This system alerts residents about emergency events and other important public safety information quickly in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons and evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods. www.sacramento-alert.org.
- Where to get help. Call 211 in Sacramento for information for people in need.