Michigan Ice Storm Update: How To Prepare For Blizzard?

A brutal winter storm that has stretched 2,600 miles coast to coast battered states from the West to the East Coast on Wednesday, moving into parts of Pennsylvania, New York and New England.

The storm knocked out power to more than 100,000 households in California early Wednesday, shuttered highways and prompted more than 1,000 flight cancellations.

Residents in Western states and the Plains have faced severe winter weather for several days already this week and may see blizzard conditions and significant snowfall.

Michigan ice storm leaves homes in the dark

More than 579,000 homes and businesses were left in the dark Wednesday night, according to poweroutage.us, as the rare winter storm’s heavy ice ripped down tree limbs and power lines across the state. 

Source: USA TODAY

Blizzards are severe winter storms that combine snow and winds gushing at a very high speed. During the storm, there is low visibility and driving around is really very difficult. You should make necessary preparations if there is an imminent blizzard weather warning. Blizzards can cause serious damages like disrupting the emergency services, loss of power, closure of roads, stranded motorists, and accidents.

Concrete Safe Ice Melt

How To Prepare For A Blizzard?

It’s always helpful to have a handy checklist to make the arrangements without missing anything.

1- Stock warm clothes and food

Prepare for a blizzard or freezing temperatures by stocking up on sleeping bags, warm blankets, and warm clothing in case of a power outage. Power outages are common doing snowstorms, and without power, your heating systems would not work. Therefore, keep adequate blankets and sleeping bags to protect yourself from the chilling weather. Stock some food in the house for at least 3-5 days. Because as the storm worsens, you won’t be able to walk out of the house to buy groceries.

2-A Generator

Using a generator to help with winter heating and keep appliances running during a winter storm blackout is a good idea, but make sure you use it safely. Running a generator inside is never a good idea. Keep your generator outside, at least 20 feet away from your house, to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

3-Snow Removal Equipment Is Available.

To prepare your home for winter, you’ll need supplies like a metal snow shovel (plastic is too flimsy for heavy snowfall), an ice scraper and a snow brush for your car’s windshield and windows, and snow removal salt to sprinkle on your sidewalk and driveway to melt ice. Salt and similar compounds should be used with caution because too much can poison the soil, damage vulnerable cement, and some are poisonous to pets.

Is Rock Salt Toxic?

While salt is good at melting snow and ice, it poses some health concerns to humans and animals. There are other concerns you should be aware of, including corrosion and potential property damage. Here are some common disadvantages of using ice melting salt.

Children

Children come into contact with salt-based pellets while playing in the snow. These products can irritate eyes and accidentally ingesting them can cause stomach problems and kidney damage. Direct contact with the skin can lead to dermatitis, rashes, and blistering.

Pets

For dogs, in particular, exposure to salt-based ice melters can mean an unhealthy winter and unplanned trips to the veterinarian. The salts get frozen into the dog’s paws and fur.

When they are inside with higher temperatures, these salts can burn the skin causing ulcers and redness to tissue which can lead to bacterial infections. Dogs can also develop intestinal problems and inflammation of the stomach (gastritis) from licking the salt-based products off their paws.

Gaia Enterprises Inc. delivers 100% pet-safe and environmentally friendly winter products. Safe Paw, our flagship product, is the #1 selling pet-safe ice melt that does not harm pets, safe if ingested, and safe on all types of concrete.

Property

Salt residue left over from these products causes permanent damage to pavers, asphalt, concrete, wood decks, floors, and rugs. It later seeps into groundwater supplies or washes into lakes and streams and harms aquatic wildlife. Salt-based ice melters also erode soil, kill plants, burn grasses, and poison birds.

These are some of the dangers of using a snow melter salt around your property. But many times, we ignore these salt hazards when buying ice melt and end up dumping toxic chemicals around our kids, pets, and plants. 

Choose The Right Ice Melter For Your Needs – Safe Paw:

It will not hurt animals or children, and it will not cause damage to your home. This chloride-free and acetate-free natural ice melt is safe for your lawn, plants, and greenery. 

It’s non-toxic and biodegradable, and it’s guaranteed to melt ice below -2°F. Safe Paw’s unique composition is guaranteed to not harm people, pets, or the environment, unlike competing Pet Safe Ice Melts. It also contains non-edgy rounded granules that don’t harm the paws of your pets.

It is non-conductive and non-corrosive. There will be no harm to delicate machinery, and there will be no danger of short circuits. From season to season, the concentrated mixture ensures long-term, optimum effectiveness.  

If you are trying to figure out what ice melt is safe for concrete, Safe Paw is the answer. It works well on all surfaces and does not damage concrete, asphalt, wooden decks, and metals.

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