Woburn Mayor Scott Galvin Urges Residents to Take Cold Weather Safety Precautions

From the City of Woburn

Mayor Scott Galvin is asking residents to take precautions as our area braces for extreme cold beginning Thursday night and lasting into Friday morning.

The National Weather Service is forecasting dangerously cold wind chills of 10 to 25 below zero as Thursday overnight lows drop into the single digits to several degrees below-zero—with sustained northwest winds of 20-30 mph and gusts of up to 60 to 65 mph possible Thursday night between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m.

Meanwhile, Mayor Galvin said City resources and manpower are at the ready for accumulating snow that is forecast starting Friday night into Saturday morning. Snowfall totals could reach 1-3 inches along the coast and 3-6 inches across interior New England. Snow is expected to change over to rain during the day on Saturday.

Residents are asked to check on neighbors and family members, and to follow some common-sense precautions during this extreme winter weather. Here are some tips to help prepare your home for possible emergencies:

• Know where your electricity, gas, and water switches and valves are located and how to shut them off. You may need to turn off water pipes if your pipes freeze or burst.
• Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected every year.
• Make sure your home is properly insulated. Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows to keep cold air out. Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside to provide insulation.
• Ensure you have sufficient heating fuel and safe backup heating options like fireplaces, wood stoves, or a generator in case you lose electricity.
• Check that your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working and have fresh batteries.
• Ensure your vehicle is ready for safe winter driving. Keep the gas tank at least half-full and have a Winter Emergency Car Kit in the trunk.

* Winter storm preparedness and safety information is available at:http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/emergencies/winter-storms/

* Power outage preparedness and safety information is available at: http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/emergencies/power-outage/

Utilize Massachusetts Alerts to receive emergency notifications and information from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service. Massachusetts Alerts is a free app that is available for Android and iPhones. To learn more about Massachusetts Alerts, and for information on how to download the free app onto your smartphone, visit: www.mass.gov/mema/mobileapp<http://www.mass.gov/mema/mobileapp>.

Utilize MEMA’s real-time power outage viewer to stay informed about current power outages in your community and region, and across the state, including information from utility companies about restoration times: http://mema.mapsonline.net/public.html

Patch file photo