Homeowners Guide to Winter Weather Preparation

As temperatures drop and the weather grows unpredictable, the urgency to winterize your home increases. The colder months can create freezing pipes, hanging gutters, fires and power outages. So, what should you do to prepare for winter? By conducting simple and timely safety measures, such as purchasing extra home insurance coverage, performing energy audits and fixing structural defects, you can ensure your home is ready for the winter months.

When searching online, you’ll find different responses to the question, “how can I protect myself in the winter?” Winter weather safety measures and risks vary depending on your state’s climate, living space, lifestyle and household setup. While some tips may be valuable, following generic preparedness plans can yield negligible results.

To properly prepare, assess the risks your household faces. After all, common weather catastrophes during the winter include varying emergencies, from house fires caused by heating equipment to roofs collapsing under snow accumulation.

Weather conditions greatly vary across the U.S. The average daily temperature nationwide ranges from 71.5°F to 28.1°F, depending on the state. And as you might have guessed, winters tend to be harsher in colder areas.

If you live in any of the following states, we strongly recommend taking extra measures to combat winter hazards.

Once you understand common winter hazards, you can start planning your winter weather preparedness strategy. This includes preparing your cars for the winter roads, checking your home for structural defects, scheduling medical checkups to minimize the risks of getting sick, evacuating the elderly if needed and reviewing your emergency funds.

1. Winterize your home

Before starting with anything else, it’s essential to winterize your living space. Statistics show that winter storms cause more than a billion dollars worth of yearly insured losses. The damages stem from various issues. To jumpstart your renovations, focus on the most common winter-related complications like ice damming, snow buildups, wind damage, pipe bursts and hail damage.

2. Conduct vehicle and tire maintenance

Ensure your vehicle safety by having a trusted mechanic and tire shop examine your vehicle before winter. During the winter, strong winds and snow buildup create unsafe roads. Statistics show that more than 24% of traffic accidents nationwide occur on slippery winter roads annually.

Your mechanic should suggest ways to winter-proof your car. Although safety measures vary from motorist to motorist, at least expect to shell out for new winter tires and windshield wipers.

3. Protect household members’ health

Schedule an appointment with your family doctor. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu activity in the U.S. peaks during winter months, so you’d do well to safeguard your household against common infections. Otherwise, you and your loved ones might spend the holidays sick and in isolation.

4. Review your finances

Take another look at your emergency finances. Although winter safety measures mitigate risks, you can’t wholly eliminate the possibility of catastrophes and accidents. It’s best to plan for the unexpected by building an emergency fund.

You should generally have enough finances to cover at least four to six months of expenses without working. Also, review your insurance policies. Purchase extra coverage to qualify for claims in case of property damages, road accidents or illnesses.

5. Stock up on emergency supplies

Consider purchasing groceries in bulk. With the holidays fast approaching and snow building up on public roads, going to the supermarket will gradually become more challenging. You’ll have fewer chances to get groceries.

To maximize your winter emergency preparedness, stock up on essentials like toiletries, canned goods, dry grains and batteries. Winter storms can make it impossible to go outside.

How else can you protect your house in the winter? Besides safeguarding your living space against common winter weather risks, we strongly recommend bolstering your homeowners insurance policy. Most comprehensive homeowners insurance policies only cost around $1,500—2,500 per year. Although the premiums might seem steep, note that it’s a fraction of what water and ice-related claims cost. Take this chance to revisit the coverages and limitations of your policy.

To help you reach an objective, informed decision, it’s essential to understand the benefits of having enough homeowners insurance coverage during the winter.

Homeowners insurance covers several winter weather risks, but there are limitations. You can’t expect your policy to pay for everything that happens to your household or living space during a winter weather emergency. Familiarize yourself with the limitations. That way, you can draw up alternative solutions.

For instance, homeowners insurance doesn’t cover power outages. If a storm hits your area with a blackout, you’re responsible for whatever damage it does to your home and the appliances inside it. Also, homeowners insurance doesn’t cover rainwater flooding. You likely can’t file a claim unless the water damage stems from a pipe burst.

Unless you live in one of the coldest states in the U.S., you likely won’t experience a thunder snowstorm. They only occur a couple of times per year. With that said, you still can’t wholly dismiss the risks, and it would significantly help if you and your loved ones knew what to do during a storm. Remember: Emergencies leave no room for error. Making even a small mistake could lead to grave, possibly fatal, accidents.

How do people prepare for harsh winters? Besides safeguarding their living spaces against winter weather risks, they also know how to fix structural damages. Of course, you don’t necessarily have to study carpentry. But it would help if you knew who to call or what services to get if your house gets damaged. If you experience an unexpected home emergency during the winter, there are several steps you can take to quickly stop further damage from occurring.

Knowing the steps to take after a harsh winter is just as important as understanding what you should not do in the winter. Assess all areas of your life. Regardless of whether an emergency happened, you should take this time to re-evaluate the winter weather preparedness strategy you followed. Strive to create a better one for next year.

For more information on how to protect your home from winter weather, we suggest going through the following official resources:

• Carbon Monoxide poisoning signs: Watch out for the most common signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Carbon Monoxide poisoning treatment: Familiarize yourself with the first-aid techniques for carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Deal with frozen pipes: Know what to do if your plumbing system freezes.
• Heating system maintenance: Know how to maintain your heating system, as it could present a fire hazard.
• Hypothermia prevention: Understand the causes and signs of hypothermia.
• National weather forecast chart: Get the latest news on national weather updates.
• Prevent winter fires: Understand the most common causes of houses during the wintertime.
• Snowfall amount calculator: Compute the average snowfall in your area.
• Winterize your home: Get firsthand tips from the Insurance Information Institute (iii) on how to combat common winter weather risks.
• Winter storm preparedness: Learn the proper way to survive a winter storm outdoors and indoors.
• Winter storms while driving: Know what to do if you’re caught in a winter storm while driving.