The temperature is plunging as you read this. The National Weather Service says the overnight low Wednesday into Thursday will be 11 degrees Fahrenheit with blustery winds, Thursday will be sunny but cold with a high of 27 degrees dipping to 18 overnight, and finally on Friday we will warm up to 42 or so in the afternoon.
It is time to bring all the pets inside – it will be indeed a three-dog night – and run at least a thin stream of water in one faucet both nights to avoid broken water pipes. Remember the City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department owns and operates the town’s water and sewer systems. If you have a broken pipe outside your home, call 919-996-4540 during the day, 919-829-1930 after business hours.
The Town of Wake Forest is offering a number of tips during a hard freeze, which is 30 degrees or below for more than an hour.
- If you haven’t done so already this year, have a certified professional check your heating system
- Don’t leave children, elderly, or pets in cars alone
- Insulate all outside pipes with cloth or a similar material to help prevent freezing. All piping in attics, including those to water heaters, should be protected as well.
- Check to make sure the cover to your water meter fits tightly. If your pipes do freeze, you can use the valve inside the meter box to shut off all the water to the house, helping to prevent indoor flooding when pipes thaw.
- If you have a back flow assembly on your water service line, it, too, may freeze with very cold temperatures. Insulate the assembly properly by wrapping or covering the pipe. Do not cover the bottom relief opening on the underside at the middle of the apparatus to avoid creating other flooding problems.
- Commercial water customers should also wrap any fire lines in their buildings. Disconnect any outside water hoses from spigots, as water trapped inside can freeze and crack the hose.
- The Wake Forest Fire Department advises residents to be extra careful when using supplemental heating units. Make sure all combustible materials, such as drapes or chairs, are at least three feet away from any heating unit.
- To reduce the chance of fire, avoid using flammable liquids to start fireplaces and do not leave a fireplace unattended. Most importantly, check your smoke detector to make sure it is working properly.
- The Wake Forest Police Department (WFPD) recommends that you check in on neighbors and family members who may be more susceptible to cold weather conditions, such as the elderly or disabled. If you are unable to reach them, WFPD will conduct a welfare check for you. Simply call 919-554-6150 to request the service.
