Camden County residents should prepare now for potentially record-breaking low temperatures over the holiday weekend. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Jacksonville is forecasting a hard freeze for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Forecasted wind chills could reach the teens or even single digits in selected locations on Saturday morning. NWS Jacksonville is predicting that freezing conditions could extend to the coast.
If you are outside, consider covering all exposed skin. With extreme cold weather, residents are encouraged to protect the 4 P’s: people, pets, plants, and pipes. Protect people by checking on vulnerable family, friends, and neighbors. Protect pets by bringing pets inside. Protect Plants by bringing them inside if possible, or covering them to stay warm. Protect pipes covering them to prevent freezing and breaks. If necessary run a trickle of water to prevent your pipes from freezing.
As you heat your home, it is important to remember these heating safety tips from the National Fire Prevention Association:
- All heaters need space. Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
- Never use your oven or stove for heating. Ovens and stoves are not designed to heat your home.
- Place space heaters on a solid, flat surface and keep them and their electrical cords away from things that can burn, high traffic areas, and doorways. Plug space heaters directly into wall outlets and never into an extension cord or power strip.
- Use only newspaper and kindling wood or fire starters to start a fire in your fireplace. Never use flammable liquids, such as lighter fluid, kerosene, or gasoline, to start a fire. They produce invisible vapors that can easily catch fire.
