Holiday Hazardous Weather Safety Tips: Keep Your Home and Holiday Guests Safe
It wouldn’t be a New England holiday without wicked winds a blowin’. Many Cape Codders know how to batten down the hatches, and if you’re new to Cape Cod…welcome to the most wonderful time of the year. With a storm of rain and heavy winds forecasted for this Friday, it’s always good to do some storm prep and keep these safety tips on hand:
Clear Your Gutters and Storm Drains
Lots of leaves and tree debris are still blowing around from fall, so take the time to clean your gutters, downspouts, and splashpads so that rainwater from your roof flows easily away from your home. Also, make sure that any nearby drainage ditches or storm drains are clear of debris and functioning properly.
Turn Around, Don’t Drown
If you plan on traveling or going out during the storm, remember to steer clear of flooded roads. Six inches of water is enough to cause you to lose control of your vehicle.
We all know Cape Codders love heading to the beach to check out the storm tides, but heavy rains with strong winds and poor visibility will lead to dangerous travel conditions. Stay safe, stay home, and visit https://stormtides.org/ to check out tides from the comfort of your couch. Be sure to follow Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee and your local town’s outreach for updates on coastal conditions.
Be Prepared for Potential Power Outages
Visit Power Outage Safety Tips | Mass.gov for tips on how to be ready in case the power goes out. Ensure you have sufficient heating fuel and consider safe backup heating options such as fireplaces or woodstoves. If you’re lucky enough to have a generator, visit Generator safety | Mass.gov to be sure to use it safely and responsibly!
Keep Your Holiday Feast Safe During and After a Power Outage
Don’t let food poisoning spoil your holiday fun. Whether it’s a holiday brisket or eggnog, it’s important to know how to keep food safe during a power outage, and when you need to throw away food that could make you sick. Below is a cheat-sheet to help guide you on what to do before, during, and after a power outage. You can also go here for more info on how to keep food safe during power outages.
Nothing But Water Down Your Drains
Ok, not exactly a storm safety tip, but if your holiday lights are still twinkling through the storm, and you can prep and cook your feast, don’t wash fats, oils, and grease down the drain! Cooking oil, fats, and grease are not hazardous, but they can clog pipes so don’t pour them down the drain!
- Carefully pour the warm, not hot, grease into a metal can, wait for it to cool, and dispose of it in the trash.
- Keep strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids.
- Scrape food scraps and grease into a trash can.
Be mindful of household hazardous products in your home, especially if you keep them in a basement that can flood. Make sure to store these items in an elevated area and in waterproof containers as contaminated flood waters can be hazardous to you, your family, emergency personnel or the environment.
