Fourth of July fireworks can turn a fun-filled celebration into a painful memory if you do not exercise caution. Even the most innocent-looking fireworks can cause injury or a fire. For example, a sparkler can reach 1,800° F, a temperature hot enough to melt gold. Keep reading to learn firework tips and facts to help keep your Independence Day celebration safe and legal.
Firework Facts
In the state of Arizona, residents are only allowed to purchase “novelty fireworks” such as snakes, party poppers, ground spinners and fountains. Sparklers are not considered a novelty firework.
The following states only allow consumers to purchase sparklers and novelty fireworks: Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Ohio and Vermont.
The following states ban all types of consumer fireworks: Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
The states not previously mentioned allow the use of Class C consumer fireworks, as permitted by law, which may include rockets, Roman candles, mortars, tube devices, sparklers, rockets, snakes, fountains, party poppers and firecrackers containing no more than 50 milligrams of powder.
Keep a bucket of water nearby when lighting fireworks. Soak fireworks that you lit or those that are duds.
Do not light fireworks in a container, especially those made of glass or metal.
Follow the packaging instructions for firework storage. Otherwise, store them in a cool, dry place.
Always require adult supervision when children are around fireworks.
Do not hold fireworks in your hand as you ignite them.
Do not try to relight fireworks that malfunction.
Ignite fireworks a safe distance from your home.
Make sure your pets are in a safe place before lighting fireworks because the noise can scare them.
Remember this Independence Day: playing it safe with fireworks is more fun than being in the emergency room because of a preventable injury or seeing your house go up in flames.
With all the snowy weather that has fallen over much of the U.S. since the beginning of the month, FEMA issued a statement warning of the repercussions snow can have on buildings. The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) collaborated with FEMA to warn residents to pay attention to heavy snow on a roof in particular.
FEMA states:
“Officials with ADEM and FEMA advise residents NOT to climb onto their roofs to shovel the snow. Instead, residents are being asked to be on the lookout for some of the warning signs, such as sagging roofs, severe roof leaks, cracks, bends or ripples, cracks in the walls, sprinkler heads that have dropped down below ceiling tiles, doors that pop open, doors or windows that are difficult to open or close, and/or creaking, cracking or popping sounds.
“If these signs of roof distress are present, the structure or the portion of the building that is affected should be evacuated. Residents should always follow the instructions and safety information provided by state and local officials.”
The Weight of Snow
Every inch of water depth from melted snow weighs 5.2 pounds per square foot. To see how much snow-weight is on a roof, you can use a coffee can that is 6 inches in diameter and holds 3 pounds of coffee to make an approximate measurement. Carefully, collect a vertical column of snow from the surface of a roof by pushing the coffee can into the snow until it is full. Then, dump the snow from the coffee can into a bucket. Continue to collect snow from the same area until you reach the top of the roof. Melt the snow and pour the water into the coffee can; measure its depth in inches. Multiply the depth by 5.2 to find out the snow load in pounds per square foot. For example, if the melted water measures 5 inches, the snow load is 31.2 pounds per square foot (6 x 5.2=31.2). Most new roofs are designed to hold about 20 pounds of snow per square foot.
Residents of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico are urged to prepare now for another episode of ice and snow. As these states are still recovering from the aftermath of the last winter storms, FEMA reminds residents to “get ready, have a plan, put together an emergency kit and stay informed by listening to your local officials for instructions and updated emergency information.”
Although blessed with a white holiday weekend, residents in the Northeast may have more of a winter wonderland than they can handle. People throughout the affected states were urged to stay indoors as a normally 30-minute drive took a minimum of two hours. The winter weather caused airports to close for over 9 hours and trains to breakdown or suspend their services. The blizzard-like conditions spanned from the Carolinas up to Maine.
Wind gusts during the cold weekend caused power outages in eastern states and professional football games to reschedule. MSNBC reports:
“States of emergency were declared in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Maine and Massachusetts, where Gov. Deval Patrick urged people who did not have to be on the roads to stay home, to ensure their safety and that of work crews. Nonessential state workers were told to stay home Monday.
“…The monster storm is the result of a low pressure system off the North Carolina coast and strengthened as it moved northeast, the National Weather Service said.
“…an NFL football game scheduled on Sunday night in Philadelphia was postponed, forcing the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings to reschedule the contest for Tuesday.”
Stay Safe
The Red Cross offers the following tips to those experiencing the severe winter conditions:
Only use flashlights to illuminate a room. Avoid the use of candles.
Prevent your pipes from freezing by opening cabinet doors in the home to let warm air surround the pipes. Allow a trickle of water to run through exposed pipes to prevent water from freezing and expanding in a pipe, which will cause it to burst.
Do not use a stove or oven to heat a home.
Operate a generator outside your home, and do not connect it to your home’s wiring. Connect electrical equipment directly to the outlets on the generator.
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…seem like a potentially dangerous situation. The holidays are a time for merriness (or at least acting as if you are happy), smells of spiced apple cider, bells, gifts, holiday parties, connecting with friends and family, eggnog, embarrassing holiday sweaters, garlands, sparkling lights and warm homes. A blazing holiday house fire can quickly mess-up your holiday plans and cheer. As you decorate, celebrate and be jolly, keep safety a top priority this holiday season.
Christmas Tree and Holiday Décor Safety
Keep your tree well watered.
Use lights designated for indoor use that are cool to the touch. Consider upgrading your holiday lights to LEDs, which stay cool.
Turn off all the holiday lights and animated decorations whenever you leave your house or go to bed.
Fireplace Safety
Use a screen around an open fireplace.
Do not allow children or pets to play around a fireplace.
Keep all combustible material away from a fireplace.
Do not hang stockings on the mantle if you have a fireplace without a closing door.
Extinguish a fire before leaving your home or going to bed.
Space Heater Safety
Keep space heaters 3 feet away from all walls and furniture.
Do not leave items, such as gifts or boxes, near space heaters.
Turn off the space heater when you leave the room, especially if you are leaving your home for any amount of time.
Do not leave a space heater on while you sleep.
Do not use a space heater as a blanket or towel warmer.
Other Considerations
Never leave candles unattended. If you are hosting a party or have a home with children and/or pets, consider using flameless, battery-operated candles.
If the power goes out and you do not have a fireplace, never use a barbeque grill to heat your home. Instead, stay the night at a hotel or local emergency, warming shelter. If the power is out temporarily, wait it out at a designated warming shelter or even a friend’s house.
Make this holiday memorable for the right reasons. Easy holiday practices go a long way if you follow through with them.
Winter weather worries include more than snow and freezing temperatures; winter is also one of the busiest flood seasons. Past floods have served as benchmarks and learning opportunities for communities that want to make sure their residents are ready for unexpected events, such as flash floods.
When determining if there is cause to issue a flash flood warning, the National Weather Service considers radar data, IFLOWS and automated rain gauges, soil conditions and the amount of rain that has already fallen in a particular area. When the waters rise, it merely takes a couple of feet of water to move car and other heavy objects. If there is a flash flood warning or heavy rains in your area, avoid driving through puddle of water or moving water because a flash flood can easily carry your vehicle away from the road and into a river, where most flash flood-related deaths occur in vehicles. Every year, more people die from rainwater than they do lightning, hurricanes and tornadoes.
If a flash flood warning is issued, residents in a low-lying area or near a stream, dam or river should be prepared to evacuate quickly as the fast-rising waters can trap them on a roof or worse. Read more about floods.
Fourth of July fireworks can turn a fun-filled celebration into a painful memory if you do not exercise caution. Even the most innocent-looking fireworks can cause injury or a fire. For example, a sparkler can reach 1,800° F, a temperature hot enough to melt gold. Keep reading to learn firework tips and facts to help keep your Independence Day celebration safe and legal.
