Getting Your Home Ready for a Central Texas Freeze
Central Texas freezes are usually short, but the February 2021 winter storm showed how much damage a few days of ice can do. Many homes here have pipes in exterior walls or attics that aren’t built for deep cold.
Protect your pipes
- Disconnect garden hoses and cover outdoor faucets.
- Wrap exposed pipes with foam insulation.
- Open sink cabinet doors so warm air reaches the pipes.
- Let faucets drip slowly on the coldest nights.
Know your shutoff valve
Find your home’s main water shutoff before you need it. If a pipe bursts, turning off the water fast can save your floors and walls.
Heat safely
Plug space heaters straight into a wall outlet, keep them three feet from anything that can burn and turn them off when you leave the room. Never use a grill, generator or your car to heat a home or garage, because of the risk of carbon monoxide.
Stock the basics
Keep water, flashlights, batteries, blankets and a few days of food and medicine on hand in case the power or water goes out.
