Hurricane Season Prep

Tips and Tricks on how to Prep your Home for Hurricane Season!

The safest and fastest path to recovery is having an emergency plan in place before the season begins. You can keep yourself and your family safe from high winds and floodwaters by taking precautions before a hurricane. 

A hurricane's winds can turn landscaping materials into missiles capable of breaking windows and doors. A hurricane's property damage is often caused by rain entering structures through broken windows, doors, and roof openings after the windstorm.

While preparing your home to protect against hurricane damage is undoubtedly an expense, you can do it in stages.

• Know your evacuation route. If a hurricane is headed your way, you may be asked to evacuate your home. Knowing your final destination and route in advance can help you evacuate quickly when time is of the essence.
• Cut weak branches and trees that could fall on your house and keep shrubbery trimmed.
• Install storm shutters to protect your windows from breakage. Alternately, fit plywood panels to your windows, which can be nailed to window frames when a storm approaches.
• Make sure exterior doors are hurricane proof and have at least three hinges and a dead bolt lock that is at least one inch long.
• Sliding glass doors should be made of tempered glass and, during a storm, covered with shutters or plywood. These types of doors are more vulnerable to wind damage than most other doors.
• Replace old garage doors and tracks with a door that is approved for both wind pressure and impact protection. Wind coming into your home through an opening this large pose grave problems for the rest of your home—especially your roof.
• Seal outside wall openings such as vents, outdoor electrical outlets, garden hose bibs and locations where cables or pipes go through the wall. Use a high-quality urethane-based caulk to prevent water penetration.
• If you live in a mobile home, make sure you know how to secure it against high winds and be sure to review your mobile home insurance policy. Mobile homes are not safe in high winds and you will need to move to a safer place before a storm hits. 
• If you have a boat on a trailer, know how to anchor the trailer to the ground or house.
• Find a trusted radio news station. If utilities go down, a radio may be your only reliable source of information. Purchase a battery-operated or hand-crank radio to have on standby. And write down your local National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) radio station frequency.
• Locate important documents. Store copies of your medical information, insurance policies, passports, birth certificates and proof of address together in a waterproof container so you’ll have them on hand if needed.
• Fill up your tank. If damage in your area is severe, it may be difficult to find an open gas station for days or weeks after a hurricane. Make sure all your vehicles are gassed up and fill up any portable gasoline cans you have in advance.
• Charge your devices. Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are your link to critical information during a disaster. Make sure they’re fully charged when a hurricane watch is announced. For extra peace of mind, consider purchasing a battery-powered portable charger or power bank.

If you live in areas at risk, make sure you take extra/all procedures to be prepared for hurricane season. The Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 through November 30 each year. It’s always important to have a plan for a hurricane, whether thats an evacuation plan or if you choose to stay at home.