Latest news, weather and high school sports for Albany and Southwest Georgia

ALBANY, GA --
Although it's 70 degrees out, December 2nd through 7th is Winter Weather Awareness Week and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency is providing tips to be ready for the inevitable cold weather.

GEMA Public Information Officer Lisa Janak Newman says despite the current warm temps, it's better to be prepared than to be caught off guard.

At any moment, the temperatures could dip and that's when people start a sudden rush of stocking up on supplied, but Janak Newman says it's better to get those non-perishable items now when the stores are fully supplied.

Dougherty County Emergency Management Deputy Director Jim Vaught says if you wait, once a possible storm has happened it's already too late.

Vaught says one of the biggest dangers is having branches freeze and break over power lines causing outages for possibly days at a time.

To make sure you're ready for an outage, Vaught says the office encourages everyone to create an emergency kit that is tailored to your household's needs.

Experts say the temperatures don't need to be extreme for you to see their effect. If your house isn't winterized and is letting the draft in, Janak Newman says you'll be losing all of the heat you're paying for.

To make sure your house is safe from the cold, keep faucets dripping so the pipes don't freeze and make sure all doors and windows are freshly sealed.