Fall is here which also means cozy sweaters, football games, and pumpkin spice lattes, but there are also plenty of hazards to watch out for this fall. Since fall is a transitional season, fall weather hazards are seen during both warm and cold months, including hurricanes, wildfires, intense winds, flooding, droughts, fog/reduced visibility, hail, early season snow and more, can occur. Follow these tips from Blue River Restoration to safely navigate through fall weather hazards.
Floodwater
With fall being a transitional season, this means fall is often a time for rainy weather, which can cause roadway flooding. Flooding can cause many problems to your home, business, lawn and the rest of you property. Along with your property, flooding causes a danger when driving. Never drive through floodwater! Also, don’t allow children or pets to play in floodwater, which could contain dangerous objects, animals, or bacteria.
Leaf Removal
When fall comes, the leaves come down. Leaf removal is one way to keep you yard neat during fall and while the winter season is here. When the leaves are collected some homeowners choose to burn their leaves, this can create a fire hazard on your property if not handled correctly. Always use extreme safety around fire to prevent fire damage to your property and home. If you live in an area when leaf removal can be take away consider composting your leaves or bagging them for removal from the site.
Weather Changing
When the seasons change so does the weather, for fall, this means the days are going to be progressively shorter and sudden changes will start to happen. As the days become shorter this reduces visibility which means more time driving in the dark. As always eliminate variables when driving to keep you from being distracted. Also wildlife is becoming more active and migratory during the fall and into winter. You may want to enjoy the cooler temperatures and changing leaves by going on nature walks, but always check the forecast first. A sunny afternoon may turn stormy with little warning, especially if your outing includes elevation changes. Dress in layers, bring a windbreaker, and never hike alone.
Home Precautions
As the cold temperatures come, make sure your home is properly being heated by either a furnace or home fireplace. Take proper safety precautions as you switch from air conditioning to heating. For instance, if you use a furnace, schedule a professional tune-up to make sure the equipment is working properly. If you heat your home with a wood fireplace, have it cleaned and serviced every autumn. And if you heat drafty rooms with a space heater, allow three feet of clearance between the unit and anything flammable.
Also with the fall and winter months approaching, staying home and inside happens more. For some people that comes with using candles. Flickering candlelight is a cozy addition to your home in the fall, but candles are also a fire hazard. Keep lit candles away from children and pets, never leave them unattended, and never burn them for longer than four hours at a time.
The risk for CO poisoning increases in the fall when combustion heating appliances are in use. To help keep your family safe, change the batteries in your home’s carbon monoxide detectors once a year. Then, test them once a month.
