A lot of people are itching to get right back to normal. But in case you haven’t peeked outside, conditions are still far from normal.
I hope everyone had fun galloping, trotting, cantering, sliding, trudging, or doing whatever to navigate yourself through yesterday's magical snowfall. However, although it’s been fun, please understand that dangers remain.
For one, there’s the danger on the roads. You’ve probably heard it a thousand times already: Unless you don't absolutely need to, stay off the roads. Don’t be an idiot. The police are reporting that the majority of accidents that have occurred are from drivers who didn't need to be out.
But there are other dangers too. For example, what should you do about ice and snow on your roof, or how should you safely heat your home to avoid fires?
Concerning the latter issue, I interviewed Louisiana Fire Marshal, Bryan Adams. He revealed that, thankfully, there have been no fire-related fatalities as a result of this winter storm.
And he wants to keep it that way. He shared many excellent tips on how to heat your home the right way.
Adams said, “Keep space heaters 3-5 ft away from any combustibles in the house, like bedspreads, curtains, furniture. Put it on the hard surface floor. Don't put it on a rug. Plug in those heating appliances directly into the wall. Don't use power strips, or extension cords, power strips and extension cords are not made to go to the host.”
He also warns of alternative heating sources, “Don’t use just over your oven heat your home. It's not made for that. Right. Especially if it's a gas stove. The gas stove could create carbon monoxide, which we all know is a silent killer…if you use candles at night because you are out of power, make sure you put the candles out and make sure that those space heaters are not left unattended. Also, check your smoke alarm before you go to bed.”
We talk about much more, so tune into our interview above for the full conversation.