With winter weather forecasted for Saturday through Wednesday, homeowners are encouraged to prepare their homes for possible freezing conditions.
According to the Texas Department of Insurance, winter storms led to thousands of insurance claims and billions of dollars in damage. For individuals who are not well informed with their coverages, it is important to know if the home or renters policy covers sudden and accidental water damage. This coverage pays for damage from burst pipes as flood insurance doesn’t pay for damage caused by burst pipes. Home and renters policies might not pay for damages caused by frozen pipes if steps were not taken to protect pipes, such as keeping the heater on in the house.
Individuals are encouraged to prepare their homes before a freeze by: Wrapping outdoor and indoor pipes in unheated areas; Remove water hoses and wrap outdoor pipes; Drain and turn off the lawn sprinkler system; Turn off the water to the clothes washer if it’s in an unheated garage; Store lawn equipment in a garage or shed to keep them in good condition for next year. Drain the gas; and Turn off the water at the shutoff valve and leave the heat on if someone needs to leave before a freeze.
When protecting pipes during a freeze, open cabinets under sinks to let the house’s heat warm the pipes. If the pipes freeze, turn off the water at the shutoff valve. This prevents broken pipes from leaking into the house after they thaw. Let faucets drip from the cold and hot taps or run water through your indoor faucets – hot and cold — before going to sleep. Follow the local government’s instructions, which may limit water usage.
As safety and warmth become a priority through the winter months, community members are cautioned using various home warming methods such as chimneys and space heaters.
Having a homes chimney and fireplace cleaned and inspected by a professional at least once a year is encouraged. Additionally, it is advised individuals keep anything flammable such as stockings and decorations at least three feet from the fireplace.
A space heater can be a costeffective way to stay warm, but it can also be a fire hazard. In the last few years, several fatal fires in Texas were started by space heaters. It is always important to inspect a heater before using it. It is important to make sure there are no cracks, broken plugs or loose connections. Always replace broken parts or the heater itself before use.
Most heating deaths have occurred because a space heater was too close to furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding. Individuals are encouraged to keep the heater at least three feet from anything that can burn. Additionally, always plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet. Do not use extension cords or power strips. Also, running the cord under a rug or carpet is not advised.
Children and pets can knock over a space heater or get too close and burn themselves. Do not put space heaters in hallways or other places kids or pets might pass by. Also, do not let kids move a heater or adjust the controls. Always turn off the space heaters before leaving the room or go to bed. Look for models that shut off automatically when tipped over.
Levelland-Hockley County Emergency Management is urging residents and business owners to register for weather related and emergency notifications to stay informed and alerted in case of emergencies.
Residents are encouraged to go to RUAWARE.US to register for Hockley County Alerts. Business Owners in Hockley County can go to https://r.iinfo. com/hockleycobizcontact for business alerts.
Also, individuals are encouraged to check their wireless device has the “emergency alerts by location” turned on. That will allow notifications to come through similar to the amber alerts but are initiated locally for emergency situations such as tornado warning or dynamic police incidents.
Individuals should not assume that getting amber alerts to their phone their settings are correct for the notification; people will have to allow location alerts.
What location alert means is it will send the message based off geographical boundaries; the alert can be isolated to a specific area for only those within the preset boundary to receive the notification. This is a voluntary activation as amber alert system is not voluntary.
All alerts through this system come from local officials; never spam, solicitation calls, text messages or emails. All of the text messages will come from the same number so it can be saved in contacts to be easily recognized.
The phone calls will come through with the office of emergency management number 806-568-5487 so it can be saved and easily recognizable as well.
Community members are urged to take measures to protect themselves from the cold and be notified in the case of snow fall or frozen roadways.
Updates for Hockley County citizens can be viewed through the Hockley County-Levelland Emergency Management Facebook page. As temperatures remain in the freezing range, roadways pose a threat to early morning commuters.
Citizens are encouraged to make extra time to travel during freezing conditions as stopping is the main issue when individuals are on the road.