Here are some tips to follow when preparing for cold weather driving.
Air Filter: In cold weather a dirty or clogged air filter will do more to affect performance and fuel economy than in the summer months. Cold air is denser than warm air and is more dependent on a clean filter to flow efficiently into the carburetor or fuel injection system for complete combustion.
Battery: In winter temperatures it can take up to five times more battery power to start a car than when the thermometer reads a mild 65 or 75 degrees. If the battery or any other part of the car's electrical system is in marginal shape, you will have difficulty in cold weather. If your battery is more than three years old, the typical lifespan of most batteries, you are probably living on borrowed time. Have a mechanic or automotive technicians run a battery load test and check the complete electrical system, including the battery's reserve capacity. Replace severely corroded connectors. Have your voltage regulator checked, too.
Cooling System: Flush the system and fill with the anti-freeze (coolant)/water mixture recommended by your owner's manual (a 50/50 solution is a good rule of thumb).
Gasoline: Always keep the gas tank as full as possible to minimize condensation, and prevent fuel contamination. Modern engines with fuel injection are especially fussy about getting their fill of clean gas.
Ignition: Wet weather can dampen an enthusiastic response from your car's engine, especially if it is an older car without electronic ignition. Worn points in the distributor, an old condenser, or a cracked distributor cap, combined with moisture, can make a car hard to start. And on cars of any age, frayed spark plug wires or dirty spark plugs will also cause starting problems.
Starting: Let your car warm up from one to two minutes before driving during winter temperatures so the oil circulates to all moving parts.
Tires: On most new cars, all-season radial tires are standard equipment. They work well under most weather conditions. Check tire pressure once a week, especially in cold weather. Pressure can drop one pound per square inch (psi) for every ten degrees C that the temperature drops. Tires also lose a certain amount of pressure due to their permeability - by some estimates as much as 2 psi (14 kPa) per month. Remember to be sure that your spare tire is also properly inflated.
Windshield Wiper and Washers: Check your wipers for proper functioning. Wiper blades that streak the windshield should be replaced. Worn out wiper blades could also scratch your windshield. The washer reservoir bottle should be filled with an anti-freeze washer solvent.
Sometimes you will hear windshield wiper chatter when your wipers are working? This is because of an oily film that develops on your windshield. To cure that problem, wipe your windshield down with rubbing alcohol.
The cold months are the hardest on your car. The sooner you are prepared, the better off you will be as we face cold weather outbreaks.
As you prepare to use your fireplace in your home to keep warm this winter season, it is important to remember to be safe and ensure your fireplace is properly maintained. HPBA organization offers tips on fireplace safety:
As the "growing season" comes to an end and the weather is getting cooler, now is the time to clean out those
flowerbeds from overgrown grass and rid your lawn of those pesky weeds. Give your landscape a fresh look by
adding fall color and a new layer of mulch in your flowerbeds.
When a tornado is coming, you have only a short amount of time to make life-or-death decisions. Advance planning and quick response are the keys to surviving a tornado.
BEFORE
Conduct tornado drills each tornado season. Designate an area in the home as a shelter, and practice having everyone in the family go there in response to a tornado threat.Discuss with family members the difference between a "tornado watch" and a "tornado warning."
Contact your local emergency management office or American Red Cross chapter for more information on tornadoes.
Have disaster supplies on hand:
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries
- First aid kit and manual
- Emergency food and water
- Nonelectric can opener
- Essential medicines
- Cash and credit cards
- Sturdy shoes
Develop an emergency communication plan:
In case family members are separated from one another during a tornado (a real possibility during the
day when adults are at work and children are at school), have a plan for getting back together.
Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the "family contact."
After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name,
address, and phone number of the contact person.
Tornado Watches and Warnings:
A tornado watch is issued by the National Weather Service when tornadoes are possible in your area.
Remain alert for approaching storms. This is time to remind family members where the safest places
within your home are located, and listen to the radio or television for further developments.
A tornado warning is issued when a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar.
Mobile Homes:
Mobile homes are particularly vulnerable. A mobile home can overturn very easily even if precautions
have been taken to tie down the unit. When a tornado warning is issued, take shelter in a building
with a strong foundation. If shelter is not available, lie in ditch or low-lying area a safe distance
away from the unit.
Tornado Danger Signs:
Learn these tornado danger signs:
- An approaching cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible.
- Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still.
- Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.
DURING
If at home:- Go at once to a windowless, interior room; storm cellar; basement; or lowest level of the building.
- If there is no basement, go to an inner hallway or a smaller inner room without windows, such as a bathroom or closet.
- Get away from the windows. Go to the center of the room. Stay away from corners because they tend to attract debris.
- Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.
- Use arms to protect head and neck.
- If in a mobile home, get out and find shelter elsewhere.
- Go to the basement or to an inside hallway at the lowest level.
- Avoid places with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums, cafeterias, large hallways, or shopping malls.
- Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.
- Use arms to protect head and neck.
- If possible, get inside a building.
- If shelter is not available or there is no time to get indoors, lie in a ditch or low-lying area or crouch near a strong building. Be aware of the potential for flooding.
- Use arms to protect head and neck.
- Never try to outdrive a tornado in a car or truck. Tornadoes can change direction quickly and can lift up a car or truck and toss it through the air.
- Get out of the car immediately and take shelter in a nearby building.
- If there is no time to get indoors, get out of the car and lie in a ditch or low-lying area away from the vehicle. Be aware of the potential for flooding.
AFTER
Help injured or trapped persons.Give first aid when appropriate.
Don't try to move the seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger of further injury.
Call for help.
Turn on radio or television to get the latest emergency information.
Stay out of damaged buildings. Return home only when authorities say it is safe.
Use the telephone only for emergency calls.
Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, or gasoline or other flammable liquids immediately. Leave the buildings if you smell gas or chemical fumes.
Take pictures of the damage--both to the house and its contents--for insurance purposes.
Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance--infants, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
INSPECTING UTILITIES IN A DAMAGED HOME
Check for gas leaks--If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window and quickly leave the building. Turn off the gas at the outside main valve if you can and call the gas company from a neighbor's home. If you turn off the gas for any reason, it must be turned back on by a professional.
Look for electrical system damage--If you see sparks or broken or frayed wires, or if you smell hot insulation, turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker. If you have to step in water to get to the fuse box or circuit breaker, call an electrician first for advice.
Check for sewage and water lines damage--If you suspect sewage lines are >damaged, avoid using toilets and call a plumber. If water pipes are damaged, contact the water company and avoid using water from the tap. You can obtain safe water by melting ice cubes.
MITIGATION
Mitigation includes any activities that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or lessen the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies. Investing in preventive mitigation steps now, such as checking local building codes and ordinances about wind-resistant designs and strengthening unreinforced masonry, will help reduce the impact of tornadoes in the future. For more information on mitigation, contact your local emergency management office.Fujita - Pearson Tornado Scale
- F-0: 40-72 mph, chimney damage, tree branches broken
- F-1: 73-112 mph, mobile homes pushed off foundation or overturned
- F-2: 113-157 mph, considerable damage, mobile homes demolished, trees uprooted
- F-3: 158-205 mph, roofs and walls torn down, trains overturned, cars thrown
- F-4: 207-260 mph, well-constructed walls leveled
- F-5: 261-318 mph, homes lifted off foundation and carried considerable distances, autos thrown as far as 100 meters
Other tornado facts and tips can be found at the following sites: