by Brianna Crandall — January 22, 2016—With meteorologists expecting a major winter storm to bring large amounts of snow and freezing temperatures from Washington, DC, to Boston this weekend, potentially impacting millions of home and business owners, the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) urges residents in the storm’s path to protect their property now from frozen pipes, ice dams, and heavy snow leading to collapsed roofs.
Julie Rochman, president and CEO of IBHS, advised:
Home and business owners and managers should act now to prepare for the severe winter weather that is being forecast. Taking action as soon as possible can help prevent costly damage to homes and businesses and even interior fires as people turn to alternative heating sources if the power goes out, or temperatures drop substantially.
Severe winter weather is the third-largest cause of insured catastrophe losses after hurricanes and tornadoes, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). Losses from snow, ice, freezing temperatures and related causes averaged $1.2 billion annually over the past 20 years.
With the National Weather Service forecasting one to two feet of snow in areas stretching from DC to Boston Friday into Sunday, IBHS urges property owners in those locations to stay alert for watches and warnings issued locally and at weather.gov.
IBHS offers numerous winter weather resources to help owners, managers and residents in all regions to prepare for winter weather and other emergencies.
IBHS WINTER WEATHER RESOURCES
Consumer guides and infographics:
