Tropical storms and hurricanes are frequent in Florida between June to November, and the intensity of hurricane activity has risen in recent years. Homes can be damaged or lost during such storms due to strong winds and high waves. Experts are suggesting that we should still take precautionary measures to brace for extreme weather effects.
The Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1st. It will come to an end on November 30. Make sure you and your family are prepared for that period each year by planning ahead of time. You have to prepare your home.
Prepare an Evacuation Strategy
If an evacuation is required, turn off all utilities and adhere to the community’s disaster preparedness plans. Choose a central meeting location or a single point of contact for all family members.
When you have dogs or cats, make an escape plan for them as well. It’s an intelligent thing to plan for where you and your family can go if you need to leave your house. When the weather is awful, certain homes aren’t safe.
Prepare a bag with essential documents and valuables as soon as you notice the hurricane alarm. Keep water, a first-aid bag, and other items on hand at all times. Overall, don’t lose sight of your primary concern: not your home but the people who live in it.
Review Your Homeowner’s Insurance
When preparing your house for hurricane season, it’s essential to do an insurance checkup. Wind loss is usually covered by homeowners insurance, but flood damage is not. It would be best if you bought flood insurance independently from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and new policies usually take 30 days to take effect. That is why you must call the insurance provider to ensure you have the necessary coverage.
Packing an Emergency Supply Bag
It would be best if you had supplies to keep your family safe and secure during and after a hurricane. Keep in mind that a storm could knock out your power and water supplies. You could also be unable to drive due to vehicle damage. Roads can become submerged or impassable. That is why it is wise to be prepared—stock up for anything you might need right now. Make room in your refrigerator for a three-day supply of water, dry or canned foods, and other necessities.
Examine Your Home
The power of the wind during a hurricane will cause weak points in your home to collapse. As a result, it is crucial to ensure the structural integrity of your home. There are things you can do to help strengthen your house before the next storm.
According to experts, you must carefully inspect the roof, walls, doors, and garage door. It is advised to be over-prepared rather than underprepared. Examine the doors, windows, and walls for any gaps that may cause water to enter, such as places where cables and pipes connect.
Trim Your Trees and Hedges
Pruning trees and trimming your hedges are both essential tasks you must accomplish before a hurricane. You may not see these plants as things that could fall off or cause extensive damage at the moment, but their weak limbs and branches can damage your roof and gutters.
You can always ask a professional to handle the tree pruning for you. That way, you can rest easy knowing this task is handled by one with far more knowledge and experience than you.
Strengthen Your Windows
No matter how many precautions you take in your yard, a storm’s high winds and heavy rainfall will still cause damage to your windows. When a window is broken, the wind blows through, causing damage to the interior and applying upward pressure to the roof, which may cause it to fly up.
Invest in and add storm shutters over your windows if you have the time and money. Storm shutters or impact-resistant glass will help keep the windows from breaking. If you need a quick fix, you should board up the windows and save them from breaking.
Since hurricanes generate whipping winds, it is critical to protect all windows, not just those facing the sea. However, contrary to popular belief, you can not cover your windows with tape. It won’t do anything to save the glass from shattering, but it will hold bigger pieces of glass intact and be very harmful when whipped about by the wind.
Look at Ways to Flood Proof Your House
Flooding will occur due to heavy rainstorms, and your entire house may be destroyed. Dry floodproofing your home works by making the base watertight with concrete is one preventative alternative. Wet floodproofing is another alternative, which entails changing areas under the building, such as basements and crawl spaces, to allow floodwaters to enter your home.
Hurricanes are among the most destructive and expensive natural phenomena known to man. Preparing your home and family for a hurricane, as well as learning how to respond after a storm has passed, are critical to protecting your house and keeping you and your loved ones safe and protected.
Do you want to learn how storm damage affects your home? Read here!
