The current forecast calls for a hard freeze over the next seven day in Covington County. The City of Andalusia and the City of Andalusia Utilities encourages residents to prepare for cold weather by wrapping pipes and/or leaving them dripping. Also, the City and the Andalusia Fire Department urge residents to use caution in heating their homes

THE AMERICAN RED CROSS OFFERS THESE TIPS FOR WINTER WEATHER SAFETY:

• Winter weather can bring life-threatening conditions. Stay indoors and wear layers of loose-fitting, lightweight warm clothes.
• Check on relatives, neighbors, and friends, particularly if they are elderly or live alone.
• Caulk and weather-strip doors and windowsills to keep cold air out. Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside to provide an extra layer of insulation to keep cold air out.
• Protect pipes from freezing.
• If possible, bring your pets inside during cold winter weather. Move other animals or livestock to sheltered areas and make sure they have access to non-frozen drinking water. If the animals are outside, make sure their access to food and water is not blocked by snow drifts, ice, or other obstacles.

HOME FIRES AND SPACE HEATERS

• Protect your home from accidental fires:
• Never use a stove or oven to heat your home. If using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
• Place space heaters on a level, hard surface, and keep anything flammable at least three feet away. Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.
• Use generators correctly – never operate a generator inside the home, including in the basement or garage. Don’t hook a generator up to the home’s wiring. Connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator.

POWER OUTAGE SAFETY

Power outages are not expected. However, PowerSouth, which is the City of Andalusia's energy provider, traditionally experiences peak demand during cold weather events. In the event of a power outage, please use these tips:

• Don’t drive unless necessary. Traffic lights will be out and roads could be congested.
  
• Turn off and unplug any appliances, equipment, and electronics. When the power comes back on, surges or spikes can damage equipment. Leave one light on, so you’ll know when power is restored.
• If a power outage is two hours or less, don’t be concerned about losing perishable foods. During a prolonged outage, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to protect your food. Use perishable food from the refrigerator first. Then, use food from the freezer. If the power outage will continue beyond a day, prepare a cooler with ice for your freezer items. Keep food in a dry, cool spot and cover it at all times.
• If you are using a generator, keep it dry and don’t use it in wet conditions.
• Never use a generator, grill, camp stove, or other gasoline, propane, natural gas, or charcoal-burning device inside a home, garage, basement, or another partially enclosed area. Keep this equipment outside and away from doors, windows, and vents, which could allow carbon monoxide to come indoors. 
• Plug appliances directly into the generator. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet.