New Hampshire's Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is recommending that anyone who may have experienced frozen pipes during the extremely cold weather turn the water off at the main shut-off valve before they leave home.

The department says if people think their pipes have frozen, they should shut off the valve before attempting to thaw pipes and before temperatures rise above freezing. It also says never leave heat sources unattended while using them to thaw pipes, and use caution when thawing pipes with a device such as a hairdryer and only use such devices while you are present.

The department says once pipes are thawed, slowly turn water back on and check for cracks or leaks.