AAA giving indoor winter weather tips

CAPE GIRARDEAU Mo. (KBSI) – Roads, cars, and homes are all in an icy situation. 

Some roads are still undriveable as cars are trying to not be on the roadways and homes and trying to stay heated.

It’s that time of year to keep an eye on things a little bit more as power and pipes are critical when it comes to keeping your home restored with the weather dropping like it is. 

Winter weather is bringing problems outside and inside. Some homes lose power which can lead to major damage and other homes still have power but no ability to be on the roads as they are completely iced over. 

Citizen Journalist Jill Hudson submitted this video on the Now Local News App giving an update on her Monday. 

“We do have power. But the roads are still not quite all plowed. So, we are actually stuck. Our subdivision has a lot of hills, and there is no way we can possibly get out,” said Hudson. 

Being stuck is not all bad for Hudson as she can get caught up around the house while also staying safe and lucky to have power.

“So today I am using my extra time at home to finish up the laundry and pack away all of our Christmas items and also organize lots of drawers and closets,” said Hudson.

Nick Chabarria with triple a says due to this storm that has settled snow and ice in the area. Homeowners and renters now should be worried about one thing that will stick around throughout the end of this week.

“Is that Arctic air that’s going to stick around for the next week. and that brings a number of challenges, around your home or around your apartment, that you could take steps now to help mitigate so that you’re not dealing with a disaster or a headache down the road,” said Chabarria.

Chabarria says some ways to prevent a home disaster are these three things:

• Know where your water is in case you need to shut it off. 
• Maintaining good temperature in your home at least over 55 degrees or higher
• Opening up your kitchen and bathroom cabinets to prevent pipe bursts which can be an expensive and not easy fix. 

“The main issue that we’re going to see in the next week is going to be frozen pipes. and just to put some context behind it, the average frozen pipe in our area costs about $11,000 to repair,” said Chabarria. 

Another thing to keep in mind is exterior faucets such as water hoses.

“Make sure you’re putting some kind of cover on those exterior faucets. They sell plastic covers. If you can’t get one right now, even wrap a towel around it. you know, could help prevent some of that cold air from hitting that exterior faucet,” said Chabarria.

Chabarria says the real challenge for AAA is keeping an eye on the frigid temperatures and homes losing power for the ability to keep those indoor pipes warm enough to not burst.  

“If you lose power, especially with how cold it’s going to be. you’re fighting a battle to keep your pipes from freezing, and it’s a tough battle,” said Chabarria.