When-a-Power-Outage-Strikes-4-Tips-to-Surviving-the-Summer-Dallas-Heat

When a Power Outage Strikes: 4 Tips to Surviving the Summer Dallas Heat

4 Tips to Surviving the Summer Dallas Heat When a Power Outage Strikes

When-a-Power-Outage-Strikes-4-Tips-to-Surviving-the-Summer-Dallas-HeatWhen a power outage strikes, while scary in the winter, you can always pile on blankets and more clothes. In the summer months, however, you want to take steps to make sure you stay cool and don’t succumb to heat stroke. After checking your breaker box for tripped circuits and reporting the power outage to Oncor, follow these tips to make sure you, your family, and your pets keep cool.

Resources In Your Home

If your power goes out in the summer months, there are several things you can do to help keep cool and protect your food. First and foremost: DO NOT OPEN YOUR REFRIGERATOR OR FREEZER! Even just to check. The more you open them, the more quickly the temps will drop and your food will spoil. Outside of that, to keep yourself cool you can do things like donning shorts and sandals or other loose and lightweight clothing, wetting a cloth and dabbing your arms, legs, and face with it, and drinking plenty of water. Another option would be to keep hand-held fans on hand, or in a pinch use, cardboard or paper folded accordion-style to keep air moving. Remember, heat rises, so if you have a multi-story building, stay on the lowest floor!

Resources In The Community

If you anticipate that your power may be out for longer than expected and need to evacuate your property, you may have some local resources available to make sure that you stay cool and safe. The Red Cross Metro East Chapter is a wonderful resource if you aren’t immediately able to find a temporary place to stay overnight.

If you anticipate the power to return within several hours and it’s during the day, you might consider reserving a space at a local co-working office for the remainder of the day. Check out this list of local co-working spaces to find an office/space near you to stay in until your power returns.

Monitoring Your Health

Staying hydrated sounds easy and necessary but when the heat starts to spike it can be easy to become dehydrated within your own home. monitoring your body’s temperature and symptoms can be the key to avoiding heat-related illnesses, such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, sunburn, and heat rash. All of them vary in symptoms.
Some tips to keep in mind would be to always wear lightweight clothing and stay in the coolest, lowest levels of your home. Also try to avoid caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals as these can lead to dehydration.

Checking In On Your Neighbors

Power outages can be a stressful situation during the summer and turn dangerous quickly. If you can, always check in on your neighbors and make sure they have the proper resources to try to beat the summer heat as well. If your neighbors are elderly, be extra mindful that they might need help when it comes to transportation as well, since they will need to get to a cool and safe place. Sharing resources and knowledge with neighbors when available is always recommended so everyone gets through this tough time together.

Now you know 4 great tips on beating the summer Dallas heat in the event of a power outage. Remember to stay calm in this situation and know that there are many great resources available if you ever find yourself in this unfortunate predicament. If you are able to follow these tips as best as possible, you will not only keep yourself safe, but your family, pets, and neighbors as well.

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Before, During, and After – What to do When Severe Weather Strikes Texas

before-during-and-after-what-to-do-when-severe-weather-strikes-texasWhat to do When Severe Weather Strikes Texas!

It’s the time of year that leaves Texas standing in the front yard staring at the low, black clouds forming – or (more safely) taking shelter in their home. We know this as tornado season, but it’s not just limited to the spring. Texas is prone to tornadoes any time of year due to our proximity to the gulf coast and cold air that moves in from up north. This means we have to be prepared in the event of tornadoes, severe storms, and straight-line winds and know what to do when severe weather strikes texas! Read on to learn what to do before, during, and after catastrophic Texas storms, and how to protect your property.

Before – Get Prepped & Ready

Knowing when to prepare yourself, your family, and your property for an emergency storm can be a defining moment toward a safe and cautionary experience instead of a reaction. Checking your weather reports often during weather warnings and getting your storm kit prepped will allow ease of mind as the storm passes through. As you prepare everything for the storm heading to your area it is imperative to be sure when, if necessary, to take preemptive measures for when the storm hits.

During – Monitor your Home/Business, and Tornadoes

You’re in the thick of it, winds are howling, thunder is crashing, and you may be panicking a little and we understand that! It’s natural to be worried when severe weather strikes! The best thing you can do when severe weather is happening does you best to stay calm and think clearly. Pay attention to the news reports and listen to what’s going on outside. Be aware of the signs of an impending tornado as they are more likely to happen with spring storms due to the ever-shifting temperature that happens here in Texas.

If a tornado does occur:

DO stay inside, away from windows, in the centermost portion of your location. If you’re in a mobile home or out and about try to get to a nearby gas station or commercial building, like a hotel. Also, try to get some sort of helmet on and hard sole shoes.
DO NOT park under an overpass, go outside to look at the tornado, or try to “escape” it.

Once things have settled down from a tornado or a severe storm take a moment to assess your situation to ensure that it is safe to start moving around. If you have confirmed that it is safe to move around, your next step is to take a look at your property.

After – Call a Contractor First

After a severe weather storm is over and you can safely inspect your property for potential damage, you should always call a contractor for help. Not only will they find the damage promptly and efficiently, but they are certified to repair the damage at hand. More times than not, a great construction team like Classic can also help you when it comes to insurance claims as well as setting up various payment plan options, making it as cost-effective for you as possible. You should never feel alone after property damage due to a severe storm, and the Classic Construction team can help you pick up the pieces and make your property like nothing ever happened!

Now that you’re ready for the next time tornado weather strikes, you can rest easier. Remember to prep before the storms hit, monitor the news during stormy conditions, and afterward inspect your property and then call the experts! Classic’s expert team is ready to go with 24/7 emergency service available. Whether it’s roofing, windows, or other damage, we can stop the leak and restore your building.

Playground slide and stairs with various primary colored railing.

Maintenance for Community Managers: How to maintain your community’s playground equipment –

playground slide and stairs with various primary colors With the hot Summer weather drawing near, the kiddos in your community will want to start playing on the playground more frequently. Before they swarm the equipment, check out these CAI maintenance tips for playgrounds.

Clean the equipment
If you’re thinking like a parent or childcare worker, you probably just imagined yourself wiping everything down with Wet Ones. Don’t worry; there is a faster way!

The first thing you might want to do when inspecting the playground equipment in your community is have it power washed. This will not only remove any dirt or mud buildup but also allow you to see any imperfections or damaged areas of the equipment more clearly.

Check structures for insect nests
Lots of insects hate cold weather and to them, the underside of playground
equipment is a good place to build a home. Have your maintenance crew
walk the entire playground area, even the seating areas, and check for insect
nests.

You might this unnecessary because parents should be responsible for keeping their kids from bothering the insects, but there are always parents that are less attentive than you might think. The last thing you want is an angry parent holding
you responsible for their child getting stung by a bee when they’re deathly allergic.

Think “Safety First”
Take this time to have your maintenance crew tighten or replace any loose bolts
on the playground. This is especially important in cases where there are multiple slides or levels to the playground, and if your community is home to lots of children.

If you find any rusty areas on metal playground equipment, or any warped or
damaged areas on plastic playground equipment, consider getting a bid to repair it.

Playground equipment probably isn’t at the top of your Board’s list of priorities
and that’s okay. Just know that to build a new playground set from the ground up,
it can cost anywhere between $5,000 and $50,000. For higher-end communities
that want even nicer equipment, it can cause ten times this much. In the off
chance that your community playground does need some major repairs, know
that it’s cheaper to maintain it than to rebuild it.

playground swing maintenance blue swings

Budget for resurfacing
This is especially important if the playground has wood chips or tire mulch. Even if you don’t plan to completely replace the surfacing, make sure you budget to have it raked and leveled, especially under the swings and slides.

If you’re not sure if you should resurface your community’s playground, Classic Construction recommends reading the Texas Health and Safety Code regarding playground surfacing. You’ll want to make sure your current playground is up to code before worrying about whether or not it’s in good enough condition to leave in place.

Community playgrounds are amenities that do an excellent job of bringing communities together. They get kids and parents out of their homes and into connection and conversation with each other. To make sure your community playground can continue to provide this invaluable service, take some time to schedule the inspection today.