The recent freezing cold weather has caused a lot of strife to New York. Travel conditions were less than ideal, power outages were experienced, snow shovels had to be brought out, and many had to deal with flooding.
The flooding did not necessarily come because of an excess of rain. Rather, flooding was a result of frozen pipes that burst. This is true for a building in Watertown on Public Square. The damage was discovered the day after Christmas, after the ceiling had collapsed into the Wind and Wire Music Store. It is guessed that pipes on the 3rd floor of the building froze a few days before the winter holiday and cracked after the frozen water expanded.
The Watertown Daily Times stated the building sustained water damage after the ice in the pipes melted. When water in pipes becomes frozen, the water expands. As a result of this expansion, the pressure within the pipe causes it to crack. As soon as water that has not melted is allowed to trickle through the crack, it will begin to melt the frozen water. The water will not then trickle through the crack, it will burst out like a garden hose shooting the maximum amount of water it can through a crack in the rubber when the valve is completely open.
The fire department responded to the incident as soon as it was discovered. Fortunately, the store did not have anyone in it when the ceiling collapsed. Read more about this incident.
One song that may be left of the winter carol repertoire for New Yorkers this holiday season may be “Let it Snow” as white-out conditions has made life impossible…or at least really difficult. Long Island and New York City have been hit especially hard as a winter wonderland was forced upon them this weekend, making travel and holiday shopping come to a standstill.
“In a press conference… Mayor Bloomberg announced that most highways were clear but the Sanitation Department was still working on secondary and tertiary roads. Because of that work, garbage and recycling pick-up will probably not resume until at least Tuesday. Alternate-side parking will be suspended on Monday, the mayor said, but NYC public schools are expected to be open…”
Up to 2 feet of snow has already fallen in the Big Apple and more is expected to fall, breaking the 26-inch record of 2006. The National Weather Service has issued an advisory because of the snow and the freezing temperatures that will follow. Learn about winter weather safety from the New York City Office of Emergency Management.
Winter weather and freezing temperatures increase the risk of floods in homes and businesses. Flooding is not always necessarily caused by extreme amounts of rain or swollen rivers; burst pipes in a building can do the job just as well. One should take measures now to make sure the water in pipes does not freeze, expand, and crack the fixtures. If one needs motivation or a reason to do this aside from the hundreds or thousands of dollars it takes to remediate this problem, just think about this: would you rather be inside opening gifts this week or trying to figure out what you’re going to do because all of the gifts got wet because a pipe burst?
Prevent ice damsfrom forming on the lower ledge of a sloped roof by keeping the attic well ventilated. The cooler the attic stays, the less snow and ice will melt from the roof and refreeze on the lower ledges or gutter. Keeping the attic floor well insulated will help prevent the heat within the building from rising into the upper levels of it.
Prevent pipes from freezing by placing insulation sleeves over them so they are not exposed as much to the colder temperatures. Cracks and holes on the outside of the home and in the foundation that are near pipes need to be sealed. If pipes are located in cabinets (like in the kitchen or bathroom), keep their doors open so the pipes are exposed to the building’s heat. Lastly, let the faucet run with a slow trickle of water to lessen the likely hood of water freezing in the pipes.
