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The Winter ‘Bomb Cyclone’ May Devastate Homes Not Built to Withstand Snow


The Winter ‘Bomb Cyclone’ May Devastate Homes Not Built to Withstand Snow

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The “bomb cyclone” winter storm stomping across the eastern U.S.—including typically warmer-weather states such as South Carolina and Florida—is expected to hit the coast with snow and high winds in some places. For some Southern homeowners, it will be one of their first experiences with the icy white stuff. Maybe lots of it.

“It’s not that this is the first time it’s snowed there. But something of this magnitude is pretty rare,” says Rob Miller, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather. “This is a unique situation because of how cold it’s been.”

He’s expecting parts of South Carolina and Georgia to get anywhere from 1 to 6 inches of snow. That’s nearly unheard of. New York City could get 6 inches or more, while farther north Boston could be hit with blizzard conditions and up to 12 inches of powder.

For the Southern states, the storm could wreak havoc on homes and roadways not at all built for snowstorms. Problems are likely to range from roof and pipe damage to even fires.

And the snow could slow down real estate sales up and down the East Coast.

The good news (yes, there is some): “This storm is bringing to an end the bitter of bitter cold air,” Miller says. On New Year’s Day alone, 90% of the country failed to make it above freezing, according to CNN.

But until the mercury rises, what should folks in areas unaccustomed to snow expect?

Problem No. 1: Leaky roofs

Up North, more roofs are pitched more steeply so that gravity will pull water and snow down. But roofs are generally built flatter down South.

This can be a big problem in the case of a big snowstorm. Once the snow that collects on a roof melts, it can get under shingles and cause substantial water damage. It can also refreeze and dam up and damage gutters.

Homeowners should try to clear the snow off the eaves of their home to help the water down—instead of letting it pool on the roof, says Jim Bateman, owner of Bateman Custom Construction in Fairfax, VA. And they should leave it at that.

“It’s not a good idea to climb up on the roof,” he says. “When people have tried that, they end up slipping off the roof.”

Problem No. 2: Frozen pipes

If pipes aren’t insulated correctly or are buried too close to the surface of the ground, they could freeze and crack when the ice begins to thaw, warns Ken Mellick, CEO of Universal Roof & Contracting, a builder and roofer based in Orlando, FL.

“The problem is not the pipes. It’s the water damage that happens after a pipe breaks,” says Mellick, who called the weather in Orlando on Wednesday “cold and miserable.” “When it splits and causes damage, then you’re replacing floors and wood and Sheetrock and insulation. Then it becomes thousands and thousands [of dollars in damage].”

The damage is most likely to occur when the water is turned off—and then sits in one place, no longer flowing.

He recommends homeowners pick up some insulation to wrap any pipes that are exposed outdoors, in crawl spaces, under homes, or in the often chilly attic. This provides some degree of protection.

Problem No. 3: Fires

If the winds knock out power lines down South, that could be very dangerous. Besides the possible medical and safety issues, it could also mean that folks unaccustomed to cold weather have no heat. And that could be deadly.

Many of the heating systems down South are powered by electricity, and fewer have fireplaces to help stay warm.

“For us, bitter cold [usually] means it gets below 50 degrees,” says real estate consultant Jack McCabe in Deerfield Beach, FL.

Folks are more likely to start fires in their homes accidentally while trying to stay warm if they lose heat, he warns. And these blazes could be tougher to put out when firefighters are racing down icy roads in areas that don’t have adequate snow removal equipment.

“It’s very difficult to fight fires when hydrants may be frozen,” McCabe says.

Problem No. 4: Fewer home sales

The storm, along with the bitter, cold temperatures, is also likely to affect local housing markets down South. Winter is usually a slower time for sales in the chilly Northeast and Midwest. But the storm and the cold spell are likely to force a Southern real estate downturn as well. By how much is anyone’s guess.

“It’s probably going to have a negative effect on sales, because people don’t want to venture out to look for a new home when the weather is severe,” McCabe says. “For Southern states, and especially Florida, this is really our top sales time of the year. This is when we get all the snowbirds down.”

But although sales are likely to be temporarily stalled, some local experts are confident they’ll bounce back before too long.

“It will pick up in the days after [the storm]” to make up for the slowdown, McCabe predicts.

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Source: Real Estate News and Advice – realtor.com » Real Estate News