Stormy winter weather is often accompanied by large amounts of snowfall, and losing power is not uncommon for many people in Ottawa. Make sure you’re prepared for the chilly blast with a well-stocked emergency kit so you’re not scrambling if your power goes out.
Emergency Kit Essentials:
- Long lasting candles, matches and flashlights are important to provide light in the event of an Ottawa winter storm that knocks out the power.
- Enough bottled water for the whole family (about 2 litres per person, per day) to last about 72 hours in case you have to turn off the water.
- Well stocked first aid kit that includes any specific medication family members would need. In the case of a power outage and heavy snow, you might not be able to get to the pharmacy to refill prescriptions.
- If you have pets, make sure you have a supply of emergency food and medication on hand.
Remember to keep your winter storm emergency kit somewhere accessible—so you can easily find it in the dark—and ensure everyone in the home knows where it is.
Home Checklist:
- Ensure that you have working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. If they’re hardwired, check that the backup batteries are fresh so the alarms will continue to work in the event of a power outage.
- When the power goes out, many people worry about bursting pipes. Make sure everyone in the household knows how to shut off the main water valve and how to prevent frozen pipes.
Remember that you should never use a generator, grill or camp stove indoors — they are a fire and carbon monoxide hazard.
You should also have your furnace serviced annually to ensure that it’s up to the task of keeping you warm during the snowy Ottawa winter. If you still haven’t had your heating system inspected for the season, contact Team Harding today!
Harding Heating & Air Conditioning has been Ottawa’s leading home comfort specialist since 1994. We are a family owned and operated local business and all of our installers and technicians are fully licensed.
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