Florida residents understand the difficulties of living in the path of hurricanes. While there is no way to stop the storms, you can take preventive measures to protect your home from hurricane damage.
Why Is Hurricane Preparation Necessary?
Proper preparation takes time, but it is entirely worth it. It is far better to invest the effort now than to deal with the headache of loss and damage down the road. Protecting your home from hurricane damage through proper preparation provides the following benefits.
- Protects the safety of you and your loved ones
- Prevents loss of valuable items
- Saves you money on home repairs
- Provides a measure of control
Organized preparation reduces anxiety over the unknown and clears the air a little bit. After all, everyone is more confident with a game plan than without one.
Tips for Protecting Your Home from Hurricane Damage
So, how exactly can you protect your home from hurricane damage? While there is no way to ensure 100% protection, you can greatly reduce the loss of valuables and reduce the damage by taking these steps.
1. Secure and seal your windows and doors.
Windows and doors are usually the first part of your house to throw in the towel during a storm. Storm shutters provide an extra measure of security and protection against wind and rain, and also reduce the danger of shattering glass.
2. Elevate furniture and electronics.
Flooding starts at the bottom, so if you can, move valuable items high off the ground. This isn’t always possible with large or heavy furniture, but you can also cover the furniture in plastic if you know flooding is possible. Move your television, computers, stereo, etc. as high up as possible, especially if they have loose plugs.
3. Place valuable items in a watertight safe.
Important documents, expensive jewelry, family heirlooms, etc. should never be left loose. Contain your most important possessions in a watertight safe to protect them from being destroyed. If you can, move these items to a different location ahead of time.
4. Unplug electronics.
If your electronics cannot be moved high off the ground, at least unplug them from the wall. Heavy storms often cause power surges, which can pose a dangerous risk to anyone inside the house. Power surges can also permanently ruin your electronics.
5. Secure loose items in your yard or driveway.
Strong winds often carry lawn furniture or decorations through your windows, acting almost as a missile launcher. Bring these items inside, or permanently bolt them to the ground.
6. Take lots of pictures of your home.
If your house finds itself in the middle of a hurricane, it is highly unlikely that it will not experience some damage. Take detailed pictures of your yard and every room in your home. Document all important items so that you have proof of what your home looked like before the hurricane hit. And remember, always listen to professional advice when it’s time to evacuate. Your safety is the most important priority!
What is Our Mission?
Disaster Management Recovery Group is here to assess your storm damage and determine the next step. If you need a roofing evaluation or have suffered exterior damage due to storms or other natural disasters, contact us and schedule a storm damage evaluation and start on the road to recovery.
