London may be in for a rough winter. Here are some ways to prepare

It's been a wild week of winter weather in the London region, with freezing rain, snow, high winds and temperature swings.

Environment Canada says this is just the beginning of what's expected to be a "highly active season." There are plenty precautions to take in order to keep your home, vehicle, and even yourself safe during the winter weather.

Anyone who hasn't stocked up on essentials like salt, ice melt or car scrapers should be keeping an eye on the shelves. Customers were pouring into hardware stores over the weekend, said Dave Tuckey, owner of Tuckey Home Hardware, with his store selling out of the winter goods by Sunday.

"People procrastinate by nature, if they don't think they need it," Tuckey said. "Plus, with the winters we've had recently, I think people's guards are down."

More product is on the way, he said, and the store will be stocking up more than usual to meet demand as the winter continues.

Other precautionary measures can have far more costly consequences if put off too late. Winter storms can wreak havoc on a home's plumbing, and large tree branches can seriously damage a house, car or person if not dealt with preemptively.

From burst pipes and frozen water lines to backed up sewer drains and sump pump issues, everything seems to break in the cold weather, said Grant Patterson, owner and operator of London Plumbing.

Any one of those plumbing emergencies can cause severe and costly water damage to a home, but there are things you can do to prevent issues before they arise, Patterson said.

A common cause of burst pipes is forgetting to shut off and drain your outdoor water before the winter starts. When water is left sitting in those pipes, it can freeze and expand, causing the pipes to burst and leak into the house once the weather warms up, he explained.

Simply locate the valve inside and turn it off, he added, then open the garden hose tap to drain the leftover water, leaving it open for the rest of the season.

Sump pumps can also be a source of grief for homeowners, especially when the power goes out. Without power, the pump can't function, Patterson said, but investing in a battery powered backup system can help keep it running for a few days.

It's also a good idea to pour a bucket of water into the pump a couple times per year to make sure it's working properly, he added.

If you're going away on a trip, it's best to turn your water off at the meter, then flush the toilets and drain the taps.

"Sometimes you're gone for a couple of days, your furnace stops working and it's 20 below and now your water lines are freezing," he said. "Then you come back and your living room ceiling has flooded from the bathroom above."