Disaster Safety Blog

Gearing up for winter conditions in Colorado

An early winter storm is in effect for Colorado this week bringing between 8-14 inches of snowfall to Denver, and between 10-18 inches in the foothill areas and along the Palmer Divide.

With as wet as the snow is, the weight of the snow may lead to problems for power lines and trees. Not all trees have lost their leaves in this area and for those that have not they will quickly become weighed down with the heavy, wet snow causing power outages in some areas.

The Institute for business & Home Safety (IBHS) remind property owners that deep snow can also be deep trouble for a roof. Once snow has collected on a roof it may begin to melt or rain may fall, both result in increased weight as ice and snow loads bear down. All of this weight can heighten the potential for the roof to collapse or for interior water damage to occur. These types of roof collapses were common in New England, the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest last winter.

IBHS offers these general guidelines to help estimate the weight of snow:

• Fresh snow: 10-12 inches of new snow is equal to one inch of water, or about 5 lbs per square foot of roof
  space, so you could have up to 4 feet of new snow before you need to worry.
• Packed snow: 3-5 inches of old snow is equal to one inch of water, or about 5 lbs per square foot of roof
  space, so anything more than 2 feet of old snow could be dangerous.
• The total accumulated weight of two feet of old snow and two feet of new snow could be as high as 60 lbs
  per square foot of roof space, which is getting toward the design limits of even the best designed roof.
• If there's ice, it's much heavier, with one inch equaling about a foot of fresh snow.

Learn how to prevent roof collapses and ice dams from IBHS.

Weatherizing properties can save on costly repairs

In some parts of the country, temperatures are already falling and before long freezing weather will arrive.

Winterizing a house or business before the temperature dips, especially if it is or will be vacant, can minimize the chances of it incurring weather-related property damage.

What's the worst that can happen? When a property is vacant with the water turned off, water sits inside the pipes. This can result in freezing and bursting pipes, sending water into the property. If left unnoticed, the pooling water can damage furniture, appliances and eventually cause mold.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) recognizes that many houses and businesses are used seasonally, and current economic situations have resulted in more properties being vacant due to foreclosures. The IBHS guide Is Your Home Alone? Protect It When You're Not There offers a checklist that can be used by commercial and residential property owners to help prepare for a vacancy. This guide is available for co-branding by IBHS member insurance companies or in an html format to post online. Contact jwhaley@ibhs.org.

Here is just some of the information found in the guide:

• Adjust Thermostat:
  • In colder climates, don't turn the thermostat off. Instead, lower it to a temperature that's just warm enough to keep pipes from freezing - no lower than 55 degrees. 
  • In warmer climates, high temperatures and humidity can damage furniture or other home contents- set the air conditioner to 85 degrees.

• Make sure the sump pump is working, late winter or early spring storms and melting snow increase the risk of basement flooding.

• Protect Plumbing: Both plastic (PVC) and copper pipes can burst.
  • The best protection for a property that will unoccupied for an extended period of time is to have the water shut off and the water lines drained.  
  • Seek the advice of a professional plumber, who can shut off the valve at the water meter and send water outdoors and away from the house or business. Once this has been done, the plumber should flush all toilets and drain the showerhead pipe.

• Protect Active Water Service
  • If the water will remain on: 
    • Insulate pipes, especially in a garage or basement next to an outside wall or in crawl spaces and the attic. These exposed pipes are most susceptible to freezing.  
    • Heat tape can also be used to wrap pipes. Wrap the tape or cables around water pipes, plug in the cord and the heating element will warm the pipes to prevent freezing. Closely follow all manufacturers' installation and operation instructions.
    • Turn off the water supply to individual fixtures such as the washing machine, icemaker, toilets and sinks. Flooding often occurs when hoses are worn or ruptured, or there is a leak at the connection.
    • Consider installing an electronic leak detection system. When water touches the sensor, the valve closes, protecting everything downstream. Some systems can also alert remote security monitoring services.
    • Similarly, consider temperature sensors, which detect freezing pipes and send out remote alerts.

• Save Electricity and Avoid Fires
  • Unplug appliances where possible, including televisions, toaster ovens, coffee makers, microwave ovens and computer. 

• Plan for High Winds and Freezing Weather
  • Trim dead limbs from trees and shrubbery, which could be blown or fall onto a house or business. 
  • Store outdoor furniture and other objects that could become damaging missiles if picked up by high wind.
  • Close and lock all doors, windows, skylights and vents to keep out wind and wind-driven rain.
  • Install storm windows or hurricane shutters.

Spring snowstorm damage estimates reach $10 million

 

A late spring snowstorm is estimated to have caused $10 million in damage to homes and businesses in Oklahoma.

Woodward County emergency officials have released damage assessment reports stemming from the March 29 storm that dumped up to two feet of snow in some areas. The heavy snow caused several roofs to collapse. Gov. Brad Henry declared a state of emergency for 50 Oklahoma counties.

Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have spent this week conducting their own damage assessments. The preliminary damage assessments concentrated on 11 counties in northwestern Oklahoma, from the Panhandle to Interstate 35 along the Kansas state line.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) offers guidelines for helping to avoid roof collapses due to the weight of ice and snow, along with other severe winter weather property protection information.

Weekend blizzard leads to roof collapse in Kansas

A weekend blizzard piled tons of snow on rooftops in downtown Pratt, Kan., causing roofs on some older commercial buildings to collapse and water to seep into ceilings.

Several downtown businesses were evacuated and two were declared unsafe for occupancy Monday after melting snow caused a partial roof collapse and a complete ceiling collapse, according to local news reports. The collapse prompted firefighters to inspect all downtown businesses as well as public buildings, including schools, to look for more potential roof failures.

The potential exists for more collapses and interior water damage as the snow melts. The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has developed the following guidelines to help determine when a roof may be at risk of collapse:

The age of the building can be a major factor in the snow load risk:

• Newer building codes provide much better guidance for estimating snow loads, particularly the increased loads near changes in roof elevations where snow drifts and snow falling from the upper roof can build up on the lower roof near the step.

  Older roofs can also suffer from corrosion of members and connections which can reduce its ability to resist high snow loads. Buildings with light weight roofs, such as metal buildings or built up roofs on bar joists generally provide less protection from overload than heavy roofs.

The safety margins used by engineers are based on a combination of the weight of the roof and the snow loads:

• There is usually a larger margin of safety against excess snow loads for heavy roofs than for light weight roofs.

• Flat roofs, the step-down area between roof sections is a potential source of roof overload.

• Most roof designs can handle at least 20 lbs per square foot.

These designs can range from:

• 10 to 20 lbs per square foot in Mid-Atlantic states

  40 and 70 lbs per square foot in New England

• Estimating the weight of snow:

  Fresh snow: 10-12 inches of new snow is equal to one inch of water, or about 5 lbs per square foot of roof space.

  You could have 4 feet of new snow before you need to worry.
  

• Packed snow:
  • 3-5 inches of old snow is equal to one inch of water, or about 5 lbs per square foot of roof space. 
  • Anything more than 2 feet of old snow could be dangerous. 
  • The total accumulated weight of two feet of old snow and two feet of new snow could be as high as 60 lbs per square foot of roof space, which is getting toward the limits of even the best designed roof.
  • If there's ice, it's much heavier, with one inch equaling about a foot of fresh snow. 

Spring Snowstorm Strikes Colorado

It may officially be spring; however, Colorado is experiencing the snowstorm they have been waiting for all winter.

A major spring storm dumped more than a foot of snow on the Colorado-Wyoming state line yesterday falling at a rate of 2 to 3.5 inches per hour with wind gusts up to 40 mph.

Whiteout conditions greatly hindered travel, cancelling hundreds of flights and creating treacherous road conditions which caused several large pileups resulting in numerous injuries.

The snowstorm is welcome news for some, however, after a dry winter that ignited repeated brush fires.

While blizzard conditions continue throughout the day, many Colorado residents will be looking for ways to escape the below freezing temperatures. Whether using wood or pellet stoves, fireplaces or space heaters, the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) offers safety tips for each heating device in their Alternative Heating Guide.

It is extremely important to use caution when using alternative heating sources. Only days ago, an overheated wood stove caused a house fire in Robbinston, Maine forcing a woman, her grandson and two dogs to drop from a second-story window to escape the flames that engulfed their home.

IBHS also offers information to help protect your home from severe winter weather including preventing roof collapse and pipes from freezing as well as ways to reduce snow buildup.

Beware of ice dams as temperatures rise and fall in coming days

Michigan residents have been dealing with an onslaught of frigid temperatures for weeks and snow and ice are still abudnant on the ground. Temperatures are forecast to rise a bit in the coming days and that means the opportunity for water leaks to damage a home's interior.

As temperatures rise and then fall snow can melt on the roof, causing water to run down and refreeze at the roof’s edge. If ice builds up and blocks water from draining, water is forced under the roof covering and into the attic or down the inside walls, causing damage.

Seal all ceiling penetrations into the attic to limit the amount of heat that escapes into the attic space.  Replace any seals that may be worn.

A warm attic can contribute to the problem.

To determine if your attic floor has enough insulation:

• Use a ruler to measure the height of the existing insulation:
• Areas exposed to freezing weather require a minimum of R-38 insulation - a 10 to 12-inch fiberglass blanket or batt insulation is required to achieve this level.
• R-49 insulation should be installed in northern states exposed to extreme temperatures.  This requires approximately 12 to 15 inches of fiberglass blanket or batt insulation.
• Other insulation types may require a different insulation thickness to achieve the same R-value.
• Always install unfaced insulation over existing insulation.
• Paper-backed or foil-backed (i.e. faced insulation) may create a vapor barrier between insulation layers that can lead to moisture accumulation in your attic.

BONUS!  You may be eligible for energy saving federal tax credits when you increase the amount of insulation in your attic.  Check www.irs.gov for more information.  Additionally, many states and local municipalities offer similar energy efficiency credits.

Farmers put prior disaster lessons into practice

Farm managers in Kentucky, particularly those dealing with thoroughbreds, are dealing with widespread property damage due to falling trees and power outages related to the ice storm that has paralyzed the state since Sunday.

Lessons learned from the ice storm of 2003 are being put into practice this week, according to BloodHorse.com.

 "We learned from the ice storm of 2003 and had generators and spotlights on hand in case of a power outage so we could still foal out mares," Jen Roytz, a spokesperson for Robert Clay's Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Ky., told the site. 

The thick coating of ice has caused trees to fall, snapping power lines and fence boards. Learn more about preventing tree-related damage with information from the Institute for Business & Home Safety.

"The farm looks like it's been through a tornado with all the limbs down," said Richie Donworth, broodmare manager at Three Chimneys' Old Bradley Place division.

Tim Thornton, general manager of Airdrie Stud near Midway, said "the last couple days haven't been good" in reference to the power outages, fallen trees, broken fences, and treacherous, icy landscape at the farm.

Repair work could take a month, Thornton said. Many farmers may be searching for alternative heating sources until power is restored. Learn how to safely use these types of heating options with the IBHS guide.

Although farm employees were able to clear the roads after three days, O'Rourke said it would take months and would cost a fortune to clean up all the tree damage around the farm. He predicted it would cost at least $100,000 to $150,000 to clear enough limbs to make the farm safe.

"We do some (the work) ourselves, but it's too high of a risk from a liability point of view," he said. "It takes professional crews to take care of the specific damage. Up until today, we were constantly chasing our tails--we'd get one thing fixed, and have something else go out. Now, the biggest fear is we're going to (see a rise in temperature) and all the water lines will burst."

IBHS offers a guide to prevent pipes from freezing then bursting.

Roof collapses possible following snowfall

Building officials in Newbury, Mass., are urging home and business to clear snow-covered roofs to avoid collapses.

"Anyone with a low-pitch roof or a flat roof that hasn't done any snow clearing there is potential for further damage, or for the houses or businesses to collapse," Newbury Building Official Sam Joslin told WCVB News.

Roof collapses have been common in New England and elsewhere in the country following heavy snowfalls. The Institute for Business & Home Safety has developed guidelines to help determine when a roof may be at risk of failure.

More than 70 schools and businesses in Boston remain closed delayed again this morning after a winter storm that dumped as much as 6 inches of snow and freezing rain on the state. Heavy snow combined with rain and ice took its toll on roofs around the region, including residential and commercial structures.

A unique perspective on preventing frozen pipes

It's the time of year when freezing and then bursting pipes leave home and business owners with a soggy mess. One Wisconsin city has a unique method of dealing with this problem, reports Northland's News Center.

The City of Rice Lake, Wisconsin is telling residents to keep the water running. It seems like a waste of water and money for utilities, but that's not exactly the case.

"In the event that a customer doesn't follow the run water request and it ends up freezing and we're not notified or they don't know about it, it could end up doing a lot of damage. More than likely it's going to freeze up inside the home and you're going to have property damage," said Scott Reimer, the General Manager of Rice Lake Utilities.

Leaving the faucet open is voluntary for residents. City officials say any additional usage costs will be picked up by the city.

Rice Lake Mayor Dan Fitzgerald said, "We need to make the decision that the loss of our water that we have or when the pipes freeze we run into seven and ten and fifteen thousand dollars to tear up these pipes and replace these pipes. Then it becomes inconvenience to the tax payers at that point if the water froze up and we have to do something different with the street and into their homes."

Rice Lake Resident Charlene Komoto agrees with the policy.

"I've seen them dig up in the streets when the pipes are frozen and it does look like a big mess so it's kind of hard to keep the water running but they reimburse us for that. I always worry about the pipes freezing," she said.

Public Utilities officials say their plan of letting water run wastes about four million gallons of water a year. In this case, city officials say it's deciding which is the lesser of two evils.

"We offset it by saying, which is worse, the cost of the city having to tear up all these streets or the minute amount of water we are losing," the Mayor said.

Letting the Water run is a tactic the City uses only in the extreme cold weather. The Mayor says he has yet to receive one complaint from residents about the policy.

For information on preventing frozen pipes in your home or business, download a copy of the tip sheet from the Institute for Business & Home Safety.

Washington roofs collapse under weight of snow

Emergency workers in Spokane, Wash., are busy this morning responding to half a dozen reports of roofs collapsing following another heavy snowfall Monday.

Among the latest reports is that a roof caved in at a business park with workers inside, according to news coverage. It happened just before 5:30 a.m. at the Five Mile Business Park. According to three people who were inside one of the businesses during the collapse, it happened like a domino effect, left to right, the roof just started caving in.

IBHS engineers have created guidelines for knowing how much snow is dangerous to a building. Design guidelines in Washington State call for 30 pound per square foot is the minimum, but the area is already nearing that snowload, according to meteorologists.