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As freezing temperatures return to many parts of our country, it’s time to protect your art and studio from these and other hazards:
- Frozen water pipes, that burst and flood your studio
- Heavy snow loads or ice-laden trees causing damage to your roof or other structures
- Exterior wires that get damaged in the weather and cause a fire
To combat these and other hazards, make sure you have some basic supplies and solid plans in place that include:
-
- Water: Enough to last for three days with one gallon per person per day
- Food: at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
- Battery-powered or hand cranked radio and a NOAA Weather Radio
- Flashlights and extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Battery backup or an alternative (solar, etc.) charger for your cell phone
- Emergency cash on hand as stores may not be able to accept anything but cash.
- A plan to safely heat your home and studio without electricity. Even if you don’t heat with electricity, your heating system probably depends on it to function.
- At least a half a tank of gas in your vehicle.
- An emergency supply kit for your car that includes many of the home emergency items above plus a shovel, extra winter clothes, blanket, tow strap, booster cables, and flares.
- A power inverter that gives you the ability to power a few home electrical appliances using your car battery.
Finally, and perhaps most important, you need to have a business insurance policy in place that includes coverage for protection against winter hazards.
For further resources on how to prepare for winter storm hazards visit:
- CERF+’s Studio Protector for power outage preparedness tips and resources
- Ready.gov’s winter storm and extreme cold preparedness resources
- Iowa State University’s Power Outages and Your Business fact sheet
- CERF+’s Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Tip of the Month
- CERF+ Emergency Alert Apps Tip of the Month suggest smartphone apps that will sense your location (if location services are activated) and give you weather alerts.
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