Winter weather safety: Here’s how to protect your family and home

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- As Central Virginia braces for this weekend's expected winter storm, here are a few ways to prepare your loved ones and your home.

Before prepping necessary supplies and carrying out housekeeping tasks, officials have reminded Central Virginia residents to check on their neighbors, friends, and family members, especially the elderly, and ensure they have what they need to stay safe ahead of wintry weather.

Home emergency kit

When putting together an emergency kit for your home, the Farmville Fire Department has recommended collecting the following items:

• Food and water: Prepare at least three days' worth of non-perishable food and one gallon of water per person per day.
• Backup heat source: If possible, consider buying a generator, wood stove or space heater rated for indoor use. If and when you use it, ensure you practice heat safety.
• Flashlights and batteries: In the event of a power outage, make sure you have a reliable light source such as a flashlight or headlamp, as well as batteries.
• First-aid kit and medications: Ensure you and your loved ones have necessary prescriptions and emergency medical supplies.
• Extra blankets and warm clothing: Prepare your home with extra blankets, and warm clothing to layer in case you experience a power outage.

In addition, Chesterfield County recommended that residents charge devices and backup batteries.

Avoiding frozen pipes

As for preparing your home, one step residents can take is ensuring their pipes are protected, as frozen pipes can leave their homes without water, and if they break, they can be costly to repair.

To prevent frozen pipes, the city of Petersburg shared the following tips from the Red Cross:

• Before cold weather:
  • Drain and turn off all outdoor water lines.
  • Fix drafty windows and doors.
  • Seal at pipe openings to stop cold air.
  • Know how to shut off your water.
• During severe cold:
  • Keep the thermostat above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Allow inside faucets to trickle, which makes it more difficult for water to freeze.
  • Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to give plumbing access to warm air.
• If your pipes do freeze:
  • Shut off the water to your home immediately.
  • Keep the faucet open.
  • Apply heat with a hair dryer, electric heating pad or portable space heater.
    • Do not leave your space heater unattended or use an open flame.

Pet safety

In addition to making sure your human loved ones are safe, prepared and warm, Central Virginians should also ensure the safety of their pets, including outdoor dogs and cats.

The Red Cross recommends taking the following steps to keep pets safe:

• If possible, bring your pets inside during winter weather. Move other animals or livestock to sheltered areas and make sure they have access to non-frozen drinking water.
• If animals are outside, make sure their access to food and water is not blocked by snow drifts, ice or other obstacles.

In addition, the Humane Society of the United States suggests the following tips on winter pet safety:

• If pets cannot come indoors, make sure they are protected by a dry, draft-free enclosure large enough to allow them to sit and lie down, but small enough to hold in the pet’s body heat.
  • Raise the floor a few inches off the ground and cover it with cedar shavings or straw. Turn the enclosure away from the wind and cover the doorway with waterproof burlap or heavy plastic.
• Salt and other chemicals used to melt snow and ice can irritate a pet’s paws. Wipe their paws with a damp towel before your pet licks them and irritates their mouth.
• Antifreeze is a deadly poison. Wipe up spills and store antifreeze out of reach.