by Brianna Crandall — February 8, 2017 — Severe winter weather has affected millions of people throughout the United States this winter already, with another couple of months of winter yet to go. Heavy snowfall, ice storms and freezing temperatures can cause costly damage to homes and businesses, reminds the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), which offers winter weather guidance for home and business owners to reduce their risks of property damage.
Julie Rochman, president and CEO of IBHS, stated:
During the dangerous deep freeze of winter, it pays to be prepared. Taking steps now will help home and business owners avoid costly repairs and headaches later from flooding due to thaws, high wind damage, burst pipes, collapsed roofs and even interior fires as people use alternative heating sources to cope with electrical power loss and freezing temperatures in some areas.
Winter storms are the third-largest cause of insured catastrophe losses after tornadoes and hurricanes, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
IBHS has guides, checklists and resources that can help:
- Prevent frozen pipes
- Reduce ice dams
- Avoid roof collapse by knowing how much snow a roof can handle
- Safely use alternative heaters
IBHS offers additional resources as well as Winter Weather Infographics on the property damage situations above and more.
