pstrongAs all of us have experienced this week severe weather can happen anytime and that includes in the winter. The Governor Mich Daniels has proclaimed November 13th – 19th Winter Weather Preparedness Week in Indiana. In a recent interviewnbsp IDHS Executive Director Joe Wainscott said When it comes to getting ready for winter personal responsibility is key.nbsp Dont wait until a few hours before a snow or ice storm to stock up on suppliesstart preparing now. Once your family is ready for winter storms check with any elderly neighbors lower income families or families with young children that might need help obtaining extra blankets warm clothes or other essentials to keep them warm and safe.nbsp strongppstrongltfont colorbluegtHere are a few tips to help you get prepared recomended by the IDHS and American Red Crossstrongltfont colorgtbrpp stylemargin-top 0in margin-right 0in margin-left 0instrongltfont colorredgtHome Readinessltfont colorgtstrongpulliCheck your homeowners insurance policy to make sure coverage is adequate for the type of winter weather in your area. Learn what is excluded from the policy.liliRemove dead tree branches. Ice and snow combined with winter winds can cause limbs to snap and break and could do damage to your home.liliClean gutters. Snow and ice can build up quickly especially if your gutters are clogged with debris. When thawing begins water from melting ice has nowhere to drain and can back up under your roof and eaves causing water damage to walls and ceilings. Consider buying screens to keep your gutters debris-free.liliMake sure auxiliary heaters and fireplaces are adequately maintained and serviced. Many fires related to alternative heating sources are preventable through proper maintenance. Before installing a wood-burning stove check with local fire officials about codes and proper installation techniques. Do not store kerosene in a non-approved container or in your home and be sure to keep alternative heat sources from flammable materials walls curtains etc.. For more information about using alternative heat sources safely you can download this PDF a fcksavedurlhttpwww.ltvfd.orgfilelockerdownloadfileid9268 hrefhttpwww.ltvfd.orgfilelockerdownloadfileid9268Heating Safetya brliulpstrong strongppstrongltfont colorredgtstrongstrongEmergency Preparedness Kitltfont colorgtbrstrongpulliMake sure that your emergency preparedness kit is complete with fresh supplies. liliAlong with your kit keep extra blankets and warm clothes easily accessible in case you have to find them in a power outage.liliStock up on extra food and water. After a winter storm you may be snowed in or without electricity for a few days. liliRemember to consider the needs of all family members such as babies and older adults. Keep extra prescription medicines available in case you are snowed in. Dont forget your petsliulpstrongltfont colorbluegtYou can visit our downloads section in our media tab and download many of our preparedness PDFs. Just scroll down to our preparedness section. you can also follow this linkltfont colorgt stronga fcksavedurlhttpwww.ltvfd.orgfilelockerindex hrefhttpwww.ltvfd.orgfilelockerindexstrongDownloadsstrongabrp
