Homeowners need to prepare now to prevent winter damage. (Photo: Thinkstock)

For residents of the East Coast, the winter of 2014–15 served up some of the snowiest and coldest conditions on record.

For insurance companies, this was also one of the costliest seasons on record — more costly in fact than Superstorm Sandy.

The majority of homeowners’ losses were the result of ice dams and frozen pipes, many of which could have been prevented.

True to our purpose at policyholder-owned insurer PURE, our claims and risk management teams study losses to understand how they could have been prevented.

Based on these insights, we have compiled advice that you can share with your clients to help them mitigate winter weather-related risks, this year and beyond: