Springtime brings many things we like such as warmer weather, green grass and blooming flowers, but it also brings the tornado season to North Carolina. Since the damage tornado’s can bring are as unpredictable as they are, storm prep in advance will be time well spent.

Set aside food and water. Everyone should have at least three days worth of food and water per person. Have ready-to-eat meals, canned food, and healthy snacks that do not require heating or refrigeration and in an emergency situation they will provide needed nutrition and energy. Also, each person needs at least one gallon of drinking water per day.

Get a NOAA radio to hear the current weather reports along with emergency information. You should be able to find them locally at electronic stores, or you may order them from an online resource.

Identify and label the circuit breakers. When severe weather strikes, lightening may strike nearby or the power may fail. As workers restore the electricity, the surges they create can damage your home’s major appliances, like the HVAC system and water heater. If you’re away routinely, consider installing a whole-house surge protector or dedicated protector for the HVAC system.

Test and check the smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors as a part of storm prep and ongoing home safety. Battery-only CO detectors should be checked monthly because they drain batteries quickly.

Have sufficient cash on hand for emergencies and plenty of gas in the car. Retailers can take cash in the event of a power outage.

Learn to operate the garage door manually. If you have children old enough, teach them as well. Even though the garage door may be open, do not use a charcoal or gas barbecue inside to heat food or add warmth. Charcoal, especially, emits a lot of CO.

Storm prep won’t cancel the threat of bad weather, but it will keep you and your family safer as you ride it out. To learn more about protecting your home’s HVAC system, contact Jackson & Sons, providing HVAC services for eastern North Carolina homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, Pitt and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).