Winter is around the corner, and Cuyahoga County’s Office of Emergency Management wants to make sure you’re prepared. Here are 10 tips to help you prepare for the upcoming season: 

  

Driving Safety:

1. Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids. Drive slowly, because everything takes longer on snow-covered roads.

2. Stay home. If you don’t have to go out – don’t. You may drive well in the snow, but not everyone else can.

Heating Safety:

3. Maintain furnaces and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected every year.

4. Cuyahoga County can get really COLD and you may decide to use an additional heating source. Here is what you should know:

• Space heaters should be turned off completely when you go to bed or leave the room.
• DO NOT burn paper (especially colored paper) in your fireplace.
• Make sure your fire and carbon monoxide detectors are installed and working properly.

Power Outage Safety:

5. If you are experiencing a power outage, don’t assume your neighbor has reported it. To report an outage call FirstEnergy’s 24-hour Outage Reporting Line at 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or report it online here.

6. Use flashlights for emergency lighting, never use candles.

7. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to keep items inside as fresh as possible.

Stay Aware:

8. Sign up for ReadyNotify. ReadyNotify is a free mass notification system designed to send you important alerts essential to your immediate safety. Road closures, boil advisories, building closures – ReadyNotify has you covered! You can choose to receive these messages via text, phone, or e-mail. 

9. Watch the local news broadcasts. Many local stations provide weather apps, which you can download here:

• WKYC – Weather App (iTunes | Android)
• WEWS – Storm Shield (iTunes | Android)
• WOIO – First Alert Weather App (Android)
• FOX 8 – Weather App (Android)

10. Stockpile your social media! Did you know that you can never have too many ways to receive important safety tips? Follow these twitter feeds to stay prepared for the winter:

• Cuyahoga County Emergency Management - @CuyahogaOEM
• Samantha Roberts | WOIO - @SamRobertsWX
• Betsy Kling | WKYC - @BetsyKling
• Mark Johnson | WEWS - @MarkJWeather
• André Bernier |FOX 8 - @AndreBernier
• Kelly Reardon |cleveland.com - @Kreardon0818

For additional information about emergency preparedness, be sure to like the Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management on Facebook.