Raleigh residents brace for freezing temperatures overnight
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Greene sisters didn't get much improvement in Raleigh Friday in the weather department.
They're down from Connecticut to visit their sister Shontae who moved south a year ago.
But they're trying to make the best of it.
"We're on vacation that's what is fun," said Kawana Greene, who was out scootering with Shontae and her sister Kima and Kima's daughter.
Much of the sights and sounds around the Capital City came with the bitter-cold Friday.
ABC11 saw people like them bundled up in and around Glenwood South.
Others opted for tents with heaters at Gringo A Go Go on Person Street. Marc Spancake was out walking his dog Lola near there as well.
"She walks much faster in the cold, makes the walk much quicker but she misses the snow," he said. "We're getting out our winter jackets. I've been in North Carolina for 13 years but I used to live in Vermont and Pennsylvania. I remember waking up in January in Vermont and it was 15 below and that was a Monday."
Over the next few days, experts say you should have a plan.
"Running your water, trickling it during the night hours or during the day if it's cloudy, that is the number one thing people should do to keep us from coming," said William Parrish of William Parrish Plumbing.
He said most importantly you should know where the main shut-off valve is in your house. It's usually near or in your closet.
ALSO SEE: Keeping your pipes from freezing could save you thousands
You should also think about unhooking the garden hoses outside your home and putting a faucet cover over them.
"You can have foundation vents that are open that the plumbing is close to, exterior walls, exterior hose bins or faucets and it really affects those pretty quickly," Parrish said.
Last Christmas Parrish said he got 400 calls the day after the cold weather hit and he and his team can't handle that many calls. So think about any outdoor exposed plumbing you may have and cover those before you need to call him.
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