City of Tacoma Urges Residents to Prepare for Cold
Being ready for cold weather and storm season helps keep you safe.
Heat your home safely.
If you plan to use a wood stove, fireplace, or space heater, be extremely careful. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and remember these safety tips:
- Have extra blankets, sleeping bags, and warm winter coats.
- Use electric space heaters with automatic shut-off switches and non-glowing elements.
- Use fireplaces, wood stoves, or other combustion heaters only if they are properly vented to the outside and do not leak gas from the flue or exhaust into the indoor air space.
- Have your heating system serviced by a qualified technician every year.
- Use only the type of fuel your heater is designed to use.
- Keep heat sources, like space heaters, at least 3 feet away from drapes, furniture, or bedding.
- Never leave children or pets unattended near a space heater.
Light your home safely.
If there is a power failure:
- Use battery-powered flashlights or lanterns rather than candles, if possible.
- If you use candles, never leave lit candles unattended.
Use generators and other appliances safely.
- Generators should be located at least 20 feet from any window, door, or vent and in a space where rain and snow will not reach them.
- Protect yourself from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning by installing a battery-operated CO detector.
- Never use generators, gas or charcoal grills, camp stoves, or similar devices inside your home, in basements, in garages, or near windows. The fumes are deadly.
- Do not use the generator or appliances if they are wet.
- Do not store gasoline indoors where the fumes could ignite.
Conserve heat.
Some gas-fueled heaters, such as vent-less gas fireplaces, require some ventilation. Otherwise, if you don’t need extra ventilation, keep as much heat as possible inside your home.
- Avoid unnecessarily opening doors or windows.
- Close off unneeded rooms.
- Stuff towels or rags in cracks under doors.
- Close draperies or cover windows with blankets at night.
Make sure babies and older adults stay warm.
Infants less than one year old should never sleep in a cold room because they lose body heat more easily than adults.
- Dress babies in warmer clothing such as footed pajamas, one-piece wearable blankets, or sleep sacks.
- Try to maintain a warm temperature inside your home. If you’re not able to keep your home warm, make temporary arrangements to stay elsewhere.
Older adults often make less body heat because of a slower metabolism and less physical activity. Check on elderly friends and neighbors often to make sure their homes are heated properly.
Keep a water supply.
Extreme cold can cause water pipes in your home to freeze and sometimes rupture or break. When you are expecting very cold or freezing temperatures:
- Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously.
- If the pipes have broken open, use bottled water or get water from a neighbor’s home.
More information is available at CDC's extreme weather page.