Governor Activates State's Severe Cold Weather Protocol

Gov. Dannel Malloy is activating the state’s Severe Cold Weather Protocol from 4 p.m. today through 10 a.m. on Monday as we brace for temperatures to plunge to 0 and wind chills that will make it feel 20- to 30-degrees below zero for some parts of the state.

Malloy is urging residents to prepare for bitter cold temperatures over the next several days and said the several cold weather protocol directs the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Department of Housing to coordinate with 211 and shelters to ensure that the state’s most vulnerable populations are protected from the severe cold weather.

“The next few days will certainly be the coldest we have seen so far this winter season, and could be among the coldest nights in terms of wind chill that our state has experienced in several years,” Malloy said. “Those in need of shelter or a warming center should call 211 to find available locations, which are open throughout the state.”

The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security will activate its WebEOC communications network, which enables local, regional and state emergency management officials and first responders to share up-to-date information about a variety of situations and conditions.

Protect Your House

Connecticut Water is offering tips for residents to take to keep pipes in your home from freezing:

  • Know What Areas of Your Home are Most Vulnerable to Freezing – Basements, crawl spaces, unheated rooms, and outside walls are at higher risk of having temperatures affect pipes
  • Eliminate Sources of Cold Air Near Water Lines – Allow room heat to freely circulate around these areas. Seal cracks or holes in windows, walls or doors near the meter or pipes
  • Protect Your Pipes and Water Meter – Wrap exposed pipes with insulation or use electrical heat tracing wire; newspaper or fabric may also work. For outside meters, keep the lid to the meter pit closed tightly and let any snow
  • If you have pipes that are vulnerable to  freezing, allow a small  trickle of water to run overnight to keep from freezing up. The cost of extra water is low compared to cost of repairing a broken pipe.
  •  Expose pipes to warmer room temperatures by letting warm air to freely circulate the area.  Set up a small space heater for pipes that are more likely to freeze.
  • Check for cracks in the vault cover of outside meter installations – A cracked cover permits cold air to enter and all insulation value to be lost. The double cover is then unable to protect against freezing.

Know where your main water shut-off valve is in the case a pipe freezes or burst so you can shut off the water immediately and minimize damage.

Protect Your Car

The cold temperatures can also do a number on your car.

John DeSimone, owner of Modern Tire in West Hartford, said it is important to take preventative measures now to prevent a headache later.

"You have to be more aware of your car, treat it more like it is an investment, but it is also a casket on wheels if you do not take care of it,” DeSimone said.

DeSimone recommends having your battery checked. Typically batteries last 3 to 5 years. They are one of the prime culprits for causing drivers problems during cold weather.

He also recommends having your serpentine belt checked. If it is cracked or stretched, it could also prevent your car from starting.

It is also good to put a winter blend of windshield wiper fluid in, make sure you have decent traction on your tires and repeatedly check your tire pressure because it fluctuates in the cold and could go flat.

“You cannot push the limit. It is winter time. It is bad enough that you need tires, but if you do not have an all-season tire or a snow tire in this kind of weather, it is kind of hard to drive,” DeSimone said.

It is a lesson drivers like Brian Waddell, of West Hartford, know all too well.
   
“I came back to a flat tire and I had to drive it down here and manually do it on a Monday morning. It was great, but those are the things that if you are checking your air pressure the right way, you could have avoided, I guess,” he said.

To get the latest forecast, download the NBC Connecticut app.
 

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