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Preps for your home and vehicle in chilly temperatures

The four P’s: people, pets, pipes and plants are good reminders of what to protect during freezing conditions.

SAN ANTONIO — We often focus on the four P’s when it comes to cold weather. The City of San Antonio and Bexar County are issuing reminders to people to protect their homes, vehicles and others from the dangerously cold conditions.

Pipes

According to the San Antonio Water System, it reminds residents to allow one internal faucet to slowly drip water, leave cabinet doors open beneath sinks, and cover and insulate outdoor pipes. Foam insulation and faucet protectors will work but wrapping pipes with rags and newspapers will do.

Automatic sprinklers should also be turned off. If cold weather causes a pipe to burst, turn off the water main.

Plants

Covering some outdoor plants is recommended to protect against cold temperatures.  Insulated blankets for plants work but old sheets and blankets work too.

Experts at The Garden Center recommend moving tender plants in containers from the north side to the southside of the house.

Watering helps plants before freezing temperatures as water and a few inches of mulch insulates the roots.

Preventative Maintenance for your vehicle

If you’re hitting the road for the holidays, there are many tips and tools that can help you if your driving in adverse weather.

AAA recommends keeping cold weather gear in your car including extra food and water, warm clothing, blankets, flashlight and batteries, an ice scraper, and medications.

Also make sure to check your tires so they’re properly inflated and have plenty of tread. AAA also recommends always keeping at least half a tank of fuel in your vehicle. Above all, AAA recommends staying home and going out only if necessary.

AAA says winter conditions are a factor in nearly half a million crashes and more than 2,000 road deaths every winter.

People

Besides keeping warm and dressing in layers, the City of San Antonio recommends checking on family, friends and neighbors who might be more vulnerable or don’t have access to housing and heating.

The San Antonio Fire Department recommends keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heaters.

Never use a generator indoors and never use your oven to heat your home.

The city and county have seven warming centers to offer shelter starting Thursday. A list of those shelters can be found on the city’s website.

Pets

Pets should be brought indoors, and state law says dogs can’t be chained outside in extreme weather conditions below 32 degrees. The city says Animal Care Officers will be on patrol through the rest of the week.

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