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Officials urge taking precautions for hard freeze 

Posted at 2:13 PM, Dec 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-28 23:18:03-05

The Copperas Cove Fire Department is warning residents to winterize their homes this week. 

The National Weather Service is forecasting freezing temperatures during the overnight hours for several nights over the weekend and into next week in Central Texas.

"It's not something we experience every day. It is a very infrequent thing. So the better protected we are the better we are going to be able to make it through it," Gary Young, Deputy Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator for the Copperas Cove Fire Department, said.

Young said the hard freeze could "wreak havoc for those who are unprepared." 

"You don't want to have the faucets on the outside of your home freeze, so we recommend that you cover those faucets," Young said. 

The department is urging people to protect pipes from freezing by covering them and protecting pets by bringing them indoors. 

Young said pipe covers at a local hardware store only cost a few dollars, a minimal cost compared to the cost of potential repairs for frozen pipes.

"We want to make sure your bank account doesn't get drained because of having to pay for anything that is damaged as a result of the cold snap. We want everyone to be safe and make it through okay," Young said.

Young said remove the hoses from around the house and store them in the garage until temperatures increase. 

"There's warm air that's inside of the house and it will usually pulse out through the different openings. That warm air will get captured in here and prevent this from freezing," Young explained.

Young also said it's important to bring plants indoors or cover them with plastic to avoid a freeze.

For more information on how to protect your home and pets from the hard freeze, click here

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