Cold Weather Tips
Stay up-to-date on the weather at the National Weather Service website. Here’s what you can do to be ready:
- Call 911 in case of any emergency.
- Power Outages: If your power goes out, please call the PSEG-LI Hotline at 1-800-490-0025.
- Heating Issues: If gas connection problems occur call the National Grid Hotline: 1-800-465-1212. Call your oil company if you have boiler issues. For those who live in a building or rental property, if after contacting your landlord about the issue, the building or house still does not have working heat, please call the Building Department at 516-431-1005, which is open Monday through Friday from 9AM to 5PM. On nights and weekends, please call the Long Beach Fire Department 516-431-2434.
- Warming Stations & Emergency Housing: call Nassau County Department of Social Services' Winter Homeless Hotline at 866-927-6233. If you are having any difficulty connecting with the DSS, or if you are having an emergency, please contact the Police Department at 516-431-1800, and they will provide assistance to anyone who needs help.
- Water Pipe Burst: In the event of a water related emergency INSIDE your home, please call the Long Beach Fire Department at: 516-431-2434 (OR 9-1-1). For water related issues OUTSIDE your home, please notify Public Works by calling City Hall at: (516) 431-1011, Monday thru Friday, 9am-5pm, or the Police Department at (516) 431-1800, during nights, weekends, and holidays and they can contact the Water Division. For non-emergencies, please call a plumber.
Stay Indoors!
- Stay indoors whenever possible. Dress appropriately for the extreme temperatures, as frostbite can occur quickly on exposed skin.
- In addition, please bring your pets indoors or ensure that they have warm and secure shelter.
Make Sure Your Heating & Plumbing Systems are Ready!
- Your heating system is going to be asked to do quite a bit of added work over the next week, a few precautions now could save you a service call, and keep you warm when others fail.
- If you have an oil heating system, make sure you have oil and a clean filter on hand.
- If yours is a Heat Pump System, make sure the outdoor condenser is clear of all debris, and the fan motor starts properly.
- Heat Pump owners should also switch the thermostat to emergency heat, to be sure it works properly.
- Any forced air systems should change their filters now, if not done in the last 3 weeks.
- All outdoor water pipes should be wrapped in insulation.
- If your kitchen sink is on an outside wall, leave the cabinet doors under the sink open. This will keep the pipes a bit warmer and help prevent freezing.
If You Have a Fireplace, Generator, or Space Heater – Prepare it for Use!
- Your fireplace can be a great source of backup heat when all else fails.
- If you own a generator, please check it to ensure that it has fuel, and is working properly.
- Make sure your electric heater is for INDOOR use.
- Make sure your flue is clean, make sure the damper operates, & set your stockpile of firewood closer to where you need it.
- Make sure you have matches or a long-tip lighter ready to go.
Prevent Water Pipe Bursts!
- To prevent vulnerable pipes from bursting, open the faucet, and allow it to drip. This will prevent pressure from building in the event the pipe freezes, reducing the chance of a rupture. Because this wastes water, ONLY pipes which are in unheated spaces or unprotected should be left open.
Fill Your Car with Gas, and Check the Antifreeze!
- When you go below 1/8th tank of gas, the fuel to water ratio is greatly increased and when freezing temps come around, you risk freezing. By keeping your tank full of gas, you can sleep at night knowing the car will start in the morning.
Always Have a Backup Plan - regardless of how prepared you are there is always the risk of failure of one or more of the preparations you take. Use the following list below to make sure you have a backup plan!
- Put the Phone Number of your Emergency Heating Repair and Plumber on the Refrigerator.
- Unpack your Spare Blankets, and make sure they are handy and ready for use.
- Have your flashlight and spare batteries ready to go.
- Make sure you always have a Fire Extinguisher in your home and readily charged for use.
- A few extra gallons of water
Prepare an Emergency Kit:
- Water, Non-perishable food items (don’t forget about your furry friends’ food either!)
- Lots of blankets
- A battery-powered radio
- Backup battery for your cell phone and computer
- A first-aid kit
- Flashlights, backup batteries, candles and matches
- And always talk through an emergency plan with your family.
Visit www.longbeachny.gov/lbready for more information.