Is your household prepared for the winter season and weather-related emergencies?

See reminders below and more resources on the town’s Ready Hillsborough and Cold Weather Resources pages to help you be prepared.

For the latest information on expected temperatures and weather conditions, check the National Weather Service’s Raleigh Forecast Office.

Preparations

Emergency Notifications — Register or update your information in OC Alerts to be notified about water, sewer and other emergencies in your area. Select “Hillsborough water and sewer” under the Community Alerts section of the registration. The alerts system uses the Everbridge platform.

Service Providers — Know who provides services to your home. Contact your providers if you experience power or communications outages. Phone numbers for several providers are listed on the town’s Ready Hillsborough page.

Emergency Kit — In an emergency, your household may be without water or access to stores. Build a family emergency kit with supplies for at least 72 hours. See the Build a Kit section on the Ready Hillsborough page for details.

Protect Your Pipes

Pipes in unheated areas have the greatest chance of freezing. For information on insulating or heating pipes, see the Cold Weather Resources page.

If you have a backflow prevention assembly, protect it with pipe insulation, an insulated cover, or a heat lamp and heat trace tape. See the Backflow Prevention page for more information on protecting these devices in winter.

Report water line breaks and other water-related emergencies immediately by calling the Hillsborough Water Treatment Plant at 919-732-3621 any time. Call a plumber for pipes that break inside or under your house.

Fire Safety

If your heat is not working, go to a friend or family member’s home if possible.

Do not use generators, grills, camp stoves or other gasoline- or charcoal-burning devices inside a home, basement or garage or near a window. These devices create carbon monoxide gas, which is poisonous.

Cold Weather Shelter

Orange County opens a cold weather shelter in Hillsborough when temperatures drop below 32 degrees.