Batten Down the Hatches: Get Ready for Winter Weather
Winter is here! The forecasters told us that it would be warmer this year with more rain, but it seems we have snow. Quite a lot of it. ⛄️
Hopefully you’ve done the big winterizing projects like insulating your attic, crawl space, and cleaning the furnace. We’ve got a few things you might want to double check to make sure you are ready for more snow and the rain that may be on the way.
Leaves
Make sure your gutters are cleared of leaves and other debris. Even if you’ve been in your house awhile and have never had leaves in your gutters, double check. You may realize your neighbor’s once small trees have filled up your gutters with leaves.
While you are checking for leaves, be a good neighbor and clear the leaves from the storm drains. Sure maybe they aren’t your leaves or even by your home, but it is your neighborhood so be the change.
Hose Bibs
Make sure your hose bibs are insulated to prevent freezing. Any local hardware store should have cheap, styrofoam hose bib covers available. They only cost a couple bucks, are easy to install, and you can re-use them every year. Insulating your hose bibs ahead of time is much much easier than dealing with broken water lines after your pipes have already frozen.
Stock Up
Stock up on supplies in case the power goes out. We’ve had a lot of wind so far this season so we shouldn’t be surprised if it continues. Make sure you have batteries on hand for your flashlights and put them in handy places, like right by your bed. Pro tip: If you have a battery-operated camping lantern, they work great for lighting up a whole room, hands-free!
Next time you are at the store, grab some extra nutrient-dense, shelf-stable food like peanut butter and canned tuna or chicken. These foods can help you weather a storm if the power goes out and if you don’t use them, they are great to have on hand for your emergency kit. You have one of those, right?
Power Outages
Get familiar with Snohomish County PUD resources. There is an online outage map with a link to report your outage online or via a hotline. They have tips about what to do if there is a power outage in your home. Make sure to keep your cell phone always charged up or have a portable charger handy.
Helpers
Make sure you have important phone numbers memorized or written down in case your cell phone battery dies. And get to know your neighbors. In an emergency, they are going to be the people most likely able to help.
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