Hurricane season is upon us. That means it’s time to prepare ourselves and our homes for potential storms. Whether you plan on evacuating or not, preparing your home is a good idea. Severe damage is a lot less likely if you’ve properly prepared your home.
Fortifying Your Home for a Hurricane
How can you strengthen your home in preparation for a hurricane? Well, think about it logically. You’ve got a few points of obvious weakness. Start by addressing the doors and windows. Those are the most likely spots to suffer damage. Afterward, you should seal the home against water.
Storm Shutters:
Storm shutters close over the windows on the exterior. They cover them entirely, protecting them from flying objects. With these, you won’t be replacing your windows anytime soon.
Storm Doors:
Storm doors protect the doors from damage. You can even find watertight options. That way, water can’t seep through your home’s entryways.
Reseal the Home:
Other than the wind, a hurricane’s biggest threat will be water. Most hurricanes dump huge amounts of water over an area rather quickly. You can fortify your home by finding areas that might leak. Then, seal them up so that water doesn’t damage your home.
Improve the Irrigation Surrounding Your Home:
If you’ve got the time, digging some irrigation trenches can help even more. It’ll direct large flows away from your home. This would be your strongest defense against possible flooding. Of course, it’ll only work to a certain extent. Enough water will overwhelm even the sturdiest of defenses.
Before the Hurricane
Let’s say there is a hurricane on the way. You’ll only have so much time before it arrives. Having a plan ahead of time is essential. Otherwise, you’d be left scrambling.
Decide Whether You Want to Evacuate or Shelter in Place
Have a plan for evacuations and for sheltering in place. That way, you’ll have options once the time comes. Figure out where you’d stay if you evacuated. Also, start stockpiling nonperishable supplies.
Creating an Emergency Plan
How will you maintain power if the grid goes down? Do you have a way to cook food is the oven stops working? These questions ought to have answers. The last thing you want is to be unprepared in a real emergency. Grab a journal and jot down some ideas. To take it a step further, have your family roleplay scenarios. That way, everyone knows how to react if something ever happens.
How to Stay Safe After a Hurricane
So, you decided to stay for the hurricane. Luckily, your home wasn’t damaged all that much. However, the rest of the town is a different story. The news says you could be without power for weeks. Not to mention, all the roads out of your neighborhood are flooded, now what?
Stick to Your Plan
No matter what happens, stick to your plan. You created it for a reason. During the heat of the moment, it’s easy to let emotions take control. Resist that at all costs. You should’ve stockpiled everything you needed while you were preparing. Ideally, you’ll even have a generator ready to go.
Avoid Flooded Areas
If the roads are flooded, stay away from them. It’s difficult to tell how deep it really is. Sometimes, roads transform into dangerous rapids. Just a few inches of water can knock down an adult if the current is strong enough.
Staying Safe During a Hurricane
The most important thing of all is having a plan. Whether you shelter in place or decide to evacuate, plans are vital. Plans let you act confidently even in trying circumstances. Keep these things in mind when you are looking at home in hurricane zones, and use a reliable real estate brokerage.
