Kure Beach Residents,
As of the Thursday morning the National Weather Service Forecast shows a high potential for Significant Winter Weather over the coming weekend. In addition to significant cold temperatures, current forecasts for snow/ice accumulations are showing a high probability starting late Saturday into Monday morning. The forecast shows ranges from 4” to 15” which would be similar to the Snowstorm of 1989.
For those of you who did not experience that event the below link has news articles at the bottom to familiarize you with the impact of this type of event. Snow removal services are very minimal in eastern North Carolina, so you should act now to ensure that you have sufficient food/water to sustain you and your family for 3-5 days. Especially consider water in this. The Town will work to have generators to maintain the system but cold issues has the potential to impact water systems with this much snow/ice. Any breaks to the system would be isolated and take a significant amount of time to repair. As the this magnitude storm with follow on cold temperatures could result in hazardous road conditions through mid-next week.
Christmas Coastal Snowstorm: December 22-24, 1989
https://www.weather.gov/ilm/ChristmasSnow1989
The Town is making preparations to ensure that Town services are available as needed. You will see temporary generators staged at lift stations, checking that stormwater drains are cleared and staffing preparations by our emergency service teams for this event as well as preparing town assets. Snow/Ice issues of this magnitude will impact all services and you should prepare accordingly.
Plan for keeping your family warm in the event of a power outage. In 1989 it was a snow event, and there was minimal impact to the electrical system. If this storm shifts moving us into the ice zone vs the snow zone electrical distribution systems could be significantly impacted. If you lose power :
- Isolate and insulate one room
- Don't try to heat your entire house during a power outage. it's inefficient and nearly impossible without your furnace. Choose one room with the fewest windows and best insulation, then close all doors leading to other parts of the house to trap heat in that single space. Smaller spaces retain warmth much more effectively than trying to maintain temperature throughout your home.
- Move everyone into this room and bring essential supplies like blankets, food, water, and medications. Close interior doors to unused rooms to prevent heat from escaping into areas you're not occupying. The goal is creating a warm microclimate where your family can stay safe until power returns.
- Using camping tents inside this isolated room to improve heat capture and protect their family will significant increase the comfort of your family by concentrating heat.
- Block all drafts and seal windows
- Cold air leaking through gaps around doors and windows will rapidly drain whatever warmth you manage to generate. Walk around your house and identify where you feel cold air coming in, the common culprits include door thresholds, window frames, and gaps where pipes or wires enter walls. Seal off any drafts around windows and doors in your chosen room using towels, blankets, or weatherstripping.
- If you have heavy curtains or drapes, close them to add an extra insulation layer over windows, which are major sources of heat loss. If you have it available, you could always tape plastic sheeting or even cardboard over the windows.
- Put rugs or blankets on floors, especially if you have hardwood or tile, since cold floors pull heat from your body. These blocking and insulating measures don't generate heat, but they dramatically slow how quickly your home loses whatever warmth remains.
- Consider your water pipe integrity
- Either maintain a slow drip from facets or consider shutting down your incoming water. For any sinks on external walls, open the doors to under the sink so that the pipes do not freeze.
- Run a generator to power space heaters
- If you own a portable generator, you can use it to run electric space heaters in your chosen room. This is one of the most effective emergency heating methods, but it requires proper setup to avoid deadly carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Never run a generator indoors, in your garage, or near windows it must be outside and at least 20 feet from your home with the exhaust pointing away from windows and doors. Use heavy-duty outdoor extension cords rated for the generator's output to power space heaters inside.
- Ceramic space heaters work best because they heat up quickly and have safety features like tip-over protection and auto-shutoff. Only run the generator in well-ventilated outdoor areas and make sure your carbon monoxide detectors have fresh batteries before any emergency occurs.
Taking the time today and tomorrow to prepare will ensure that your family is warm and safe during this event.
Mayor Pro Tem David Heglar
Kure Beach Emergency Manager