Based on an email from the National Weather Service – Paducah KY division, we are going to have extreme cold weather with temperature staying well below freezing affecting our area all of next week. Brutally arctic cold that has not been felt here since the mid-90’s. The system should arrive here Saturday night through Sunday morning and could also bring some rain changing to snow. The brutal cold comes in Sunday night.
Looking back at 1995-1996, here are some of the problems associated with this extreme cold outbreak:
- Scores of people were dealing with dead car batteries.
- Numerous water lines burst, both in homes and even main town supplies.
- Overworked furnaces resulted in outages.
- Natural Gas shortages were reported due to dwindling supplies from prolonged cold and the freezing up of gas wells in some locales.
- House fires resulted as some tried to thaw their pipes.
- Ice jams on rivers, which caused barge traffic to back up and even caused the Mississippi river to rise further south downstream.
Okay, so what can you do to make sure you are prepared:
- If your car battery is old, purchase a new one now. Quick internet research says you should not turn on your headlights before starting, as the battery may need all the juice to start your car.
- Leave your water running (not dripping) slightly at your sinks and open up cabinet doors to allow the heat from your home to reach the pipes. Stock up on bottled water now.
- Seal off any drafts you have around windows and doors to help hold the heat in your home.
- If you have a natural-gas tank at your home, and you’re running low, get it now.
- If you have a pipe that freezes, try opening up the cabinet doors and use a blow dryer to slowly warm up the pipe. If that doesn’t work, you may need a small heater to slowly warm the pipe. If you have to use a small heater, be sure and follow safety instructions and keep it a safe distance from any flammable material. Have a fire extinguisher nearby just in case.
- Bring your outside pets in if at all possible. If not, then make special arrangements to keep them warm by adding a light in their dog house & possibly some extra bedding material. You’ll also need to keep fresh unfrozen water for them to drink.
Resource material: http://1.usa.gov/KmuE2E
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