Preparing Your Home for the Storm

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 with the peak period from early August through the end of October. The Atlantic basin includes the entire Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. With this said, shouldn’t we be prepared for at least one storm to come our way every year? So why then do so many people throw caution to the wind and not put things in order ahead of time?

What does it mean to “put things in order” when it comes to preparing for hurricane season? Here are some basic preparedness tips:

• Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the local hurricane evaluation route(s) to take and have a plan for where you can stay.
• Put together a disaster supply kit including
  • Flashlight
  • Batteries
  • Cash
  • First aid supplies
  • Copies of critical information if you need to evacuate.

If you are not in an area advised to evacuate and you choose to stay in your home and wait out the storm, then you will require an entirely different list to consider your home hurricane-ready. Here are a few suggestions:

• Hurricane winds can cause trees and branches to fall, so before hurricane season be sure to trim or remove damaged trees and limbs to keep you and your property safe.
• Purchase a portable generator or install a generator for use during power outages.
• Cover all of your homes windows:
  • Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows. But of course if you don’t have them installed, and the storm is coming, board up your windows with plywood cut to fit and ready to install.

It’s never too late to start preparing your home for the impending tropical storm or nasty hurricane. We can expect inclement weather every year during this time. It would be in our best interest to be prepared and not have any damage than to do nothing and possibly lose our home.