CLEVELAND, January 17, 2025 - The National Weather Service predicts temperatures in single digits beginning Monday and remaining in place through Thursday. Highs in single digits followed by evening lows of minus-4.
To help you prepare we gathered information from the American Red Cross:
WINTER WEATHER - HEAT YOUR HOME SAFELY
Home heating is the second leading cause of fires in this country. To reduce the risk of heating related fires, the Red Cross recommends these steps (More home fire safety information available here):
- All heaters need space. Keep children, pets and things that can burn (paper, matches, bedding, furniture, clothing, carpets, and rugs) at least three feet away from heating equipment.
- If you must use a space heater, place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs, carpets or near bedding or drapes. Plug power cords directly into outlets - never into an extension cord.
- Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended, and use a glass or metal fire screen to keep fire and embers in the fireplace.
- Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
- Turn off portable space heaters every time you leave the room or go to sleep
IF THE POWER GOES OUT
In Home Tips
If you must use space heaters to keep warm, plug them directly into an outlet; do not plug them into extension cords.
Keep all furniture, draperies, flammable materials, and other household objects at least three feet from your space heater.
- Use flash lights in the dark, not candles
- Always unplug your electric blanket when not in use.
- If an in-wall or baseboard heater is shutoff at the circuit breaker, be sure to lock or tag the circuit breaker to prevent someone else from turning it back on.
- The recall of portable heaters and electric blankets is common, so check your brand and model to ensure that your particular heater or blanket has not been subject to any product recalls.
- Never purchase a counterfeit electrical product because they have not met any of the testing or safety standards and they can be extremely hazardous.
- Install CO alarms in central locations on every level of your home and outside sleeping areas to provide early warning of accumulating carbon monoxide
- Additionally, be sure to check the batteries in your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector.