Title: 5 expert tips for protecting your home against hurricane damage
15 expert tips for protecting your home against
hurricane damage
Is your home ready to withstand hurricane-force
winds? Follow these important steps to minimize
damage to your property during a hurricane.
2CONTENTS
3Striking images of utter destruction caused by
the likes of Katrina, Irma and other catastrophic
hurricanes may lead some to believe that not much
can be done to protect property from such a
powerful storm protection. However, essential
steps can be taken to minimize a hurricanes
impact on your home.
4Guard your windows
- Entry points like doors and windows are the
weakest and most vulnerable parts of your home
during a major storm. Boarding up windows with
storm shutters or plywood greatly reduces the
likelihood of shattering. This is one of the
most important things you can do, considering a
broken Impact Windows Doors would leave the
rest of your home exposed to wind, rain and
flying debris, said Roman Zrazhevsky, founder
and chief executive officer of Ready To Go
Survival. Installing impact-resistant windows is
another effective, albeit costlier, option. The
design makes your windows perform much like a
windshield, cracking into spider web patterns
when hit, but not completely shattering, said
Frank Klavon, president of glass repair and
replacement services company Glass Doctor.
Plywood is fairly inexpensive, and when installed
properly, it can hold up just as well as
traditional storm shutters against
hurricane-force winds. Although some people opt
for taping windows, experts advise against this
method, which provides only a false sense of
security and the opportunity for larger, deadlier
pieces of glass to enter a home.
5Protect property from flood damage
- Flooding is the most common natural disaster and
can occur anywhere. When hurricanes carry
drenching rainfall and deadly storm surge ashore,
the chances that your home will experience some
type of flood damage will skyrocket. Before
Hurricane Panels strike, people often wait in
line for hours to obtain sandbags that can be
placed around their homes entrances. Experts
recommend piling up sandbags at least 2 feet high
as an effective barricade against floodwaters.
If you cannot acquire sandbags on short notice,
fill a few heavy-duty garbage bags one-third of
the way with water and place them side by side to
supplement, Zrazhevskiy said. Its also a good
idea to park your vehicle on higher ground, if
possible, before water rises. Keep in mind that
if you evacuate, your home might be flooded, to
some extent, when you return. Think about
unplugging all of your household electronics and
appliances as well as shutting off electricity
to prevent electrical surge or potential
electrocution if your home were to be flooded,
said Melanie Hart, senior underwriter for USAA.
Ensuring that both your home and vehicle are
insured against flood damage will help ease the
financial stress of disaster recovery should
flooding occur.
6Secure loose objects
Outdoor objects surrounding your home can become
deadly airborne missiles when swept up by a
hurricanes strong winds, potentially damaging
you or your neighbors properties. Ensure that
you pick up, tie down or secure anything that
could become a projectile with high winds, Hart
said. Think about trimming trees to reduce any
falling limbs and cleaning up things around your
home and yard like potted plants, lawn furniture
and childrens toys, so that they dont get
picked up by wind, she added.
7Prepare appliances for power outages
- A lightning strike, short circuit or a downed
electrical pole can cause your homes power
voltage to soar to hundreds, or even thousands,
of volts, said Doug Rogers, president of
appliance repair company Mr. Appliance. It lasts
only a millisecond but can do some serious damage
to your expensive kitchen appliances, Rogers
said. While unplugging some appliances may be an
option, purchasing a surge protector may be a
better choice. Surge protectors help to protect
your electrical devices from voltage spikes
caused by surges. Rogers said that surge
protectors are a more practical option than
unplugging appliances days before the storm. The
food in your refrigerator will likely spoil, and
dishwashers and ovens are often directly wired to
the electrical supply, so a consumer may not be
able to unplug those devices, Rogers said.
8Create a home inventory
- Knowing exactly what items are in your home is
critical to post-storm recovery in the event that
your home or belongings are damaged. Its as
simple as snapping cell phone photos of the
contents in each of your homes rooms. Recording
the item number or serial number will help you
recover after the storm when youre filing a
claim with your insurance company, Hart said.
Some insurers make the process easier by offering
free home inventory apps. Trying to remember
everything you have will be a challenge for most
people, as theyre also taking on the emotional
part of dealing with recovery, Hart said.
9THANK YOU
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