The National Weather Service in Columbia is calling for a significantly colder air mass to arrive in the Midlands beginning early Friday morning, December 23. During that time, the city urges citizens to follow the winter weather storm alert guidelines to ensure a safe holiday.
To help prevent frozen water pipes:
You can leave faucets dripping and open sink cabinets to allow warm air to circulate
Remove, drain and store garden hoses.
Seal air drafts around fixtures, close off crawl spaces, and insulate walls and attics.
Install a pipe sleeve for water pipes that are not insulated. Building supply stores carry these and other supplies for insulating pipes.
Drain in-ground lawn irrigation systems. Use the manufacturer instructions.
Report broken or missing meter lids to water utilities to prevent frozen meters.
Safety Tips for heating your home:
Keep anything that can burn (including carpet) at least 3 feet away from heating equipment
Remember to turn off heaters when leaving the room or going to bed
Never use your oven to heat your home
TEST YOUR SMOKE ALARMS
Additional Tips:
If you encounter an icy street or intersection, turn around; do not attempt to drive through it. Ice may be slicker than it appears and can cause a car accident.
Stay away from storm-damaged areas to include damaged or downed trees and power lines to keep from putting yourself at risk from the effects of severe winter weather.
Help people who may require special assistance, such as infants, children and the elderly or disabled.
To assist with keeping the storm drainage system working properly we would ask that yard debris and other items not be placed adjacent or next to drainage structures.
Contact information for Dominion Energy (For Citizens to Report Outages):
Website
https://www.dominionenergy.com/south-carolina/report-outage-or-emergency
Gas issues
1-800-815-0083
Electricity outages
888-333-4465
To stay current with the most up-to-date City information, please visit columbiasc.gov and follow us on Twitter (@CityofColumbia) & Facebook (CityofColumbia).