Heavy Snow in the Forecast—Here’s How to Prepare 

If you live in Indiana or Illinois, you’re no stranger to heavy snow. While snow can be beautiful, it can also lead to downed power lines and outages and other risks for homeowners, especially those living in more rural areas. Here are some tips for preparing when heavy snow is in the forecast—

Insulate Your Pipes

If heavy snow also means freezing temperatures that drop well below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, then you should start to prepare your house by insulating your pipes. When temperatures drop too low, there is a risk of pipes freezing. You can avoid this—and the potential disaster that follows—by insulating water lines, and also caulking doors and weatherstripping. 

Pack an Emergency Kit

Another way to prepare for a big snowstorm is to put together an emergency kit. The following contains a list of some basic emergency kit items, but is by no means inclusive or totally comprehensive. 

• Food. You should have enough nonperishable food items stored away to feed everyone in your family for at least a few days. Don’t forget about water, too. 
• Blankets. Blankets are necessary for keeping everyone warm in the event that heat to the house is lost. 
• Flashlights. If there is a big snowstorm, your home may lose power and the ability to turn on the lights. Flashlights that are battery-powered can come in handy.
• Chargers. You’ll want to make sure that your communication devices, such as smartphones, are fully charged. Portable chargers that don’t require electricity are recommended. 
• Medications. If you or anyone in your family requires prescription medications, keeping extras on hand in the event of an emergency that prevents you from going to the pharmacy is key.
• Emergency plan. Your emergency kit should contain emergency plans—for example, where will your family meet if separated? Who do you need to check on? 
• First aid kit. All homes should have an accessible first aid kit. The Red Cross provides recommendations for what should be included in a first aid kit. 

Install a Standby Generator

Another way that you can keep everyone in your home safe and comfortable is to invest in a standby generator. With a standby generator, your home will continue to benefit from electricity even if the lights go out for your neighbors. Standby generators kick on automatically and are a reliable source of consistent power during an outage. 

Call Generator Technologies Inc. Today

To learn more about how to prepare for snow in the forecast and what you need to know about standby generators, call Generator Technologies Inc. directly today. You can reach us by phone or online to get started.