What in the world does that even mean? Because again, we are in South Louisiana! It’s South Louisiana and we are prepping for a freeze.
Here’s what you need to focus on—the four Ps.
People
Check on your people! Your neighbors, your family, and those less fortunate than us that don’t have a home. Make sure your friends and neighbors have a safe heating source. If they are using space heaters, make sure they are using them correctly. Every year, we hear about people dying because of fires or carbon monoxide poisoning caused by space heaters. Gather up your extra blankets, coats, hats and gloves and take them down to the local homeless shelter. (St. Vincent dePaul) The shelters will be crowded, and their supplies will run low during the coldest nights of the year.
Pets
It’s so sad to hear of pets freezing to death because they were chained outside with nowhere to get out of the weather. If it’s too cold for you to be outside, it’s too cold for your fur babies. Bring them inside! If you can’t bring them inside. Make sure they have adequate shelter and access to unfrozen water.
Plants
We love our plants here in South Louisiana. Our climate allows us to grow just about anything. Many of us have tropical plants adorning our patios and pool areas in our backyards. Tropical plants aren’t cut out for the cold, so bring them inside. If you don’t have room for that, place them in a storage shed or pull them up under a porch and huddle them close to the house. For your fruit trees and plants in the ground, be sure to cover them with frost cloth or even an old sheet or blanket. Your mission here is to keep the ice off the plants as much as possible.
Pipes
Frozen pipes during the freeze is a significant inconvenience. Busted pipes during a freeze are the worst! Be sure to cover your outdoor faucets and pipes with insulation you can get pretty cheaply at your local hardware store. If you live in a raised home, hopefully, your pipes are already insulated under there. During the night, you may want to leave a small drip in a couple of your sinks to keep the water flowing through the pipes. If the plumbing is adjacent to an outside wall, open the interior cabinet doors so that the heat from the house’s interior will help keep them warm.
We hope this helps keep you and yours safe and warm. While you are prepping for a freeze, if there is something we can help with, please reach out and let us know!
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