4 Tips To Save Your House From A Hurricane

Hurricane Devastation in Galveston, Texas on September 8, 1900 – Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

Hurricanes are a force of nature you don’t want to reckon with, but occasionally you have to. When something threatens your home, you don’t run away. You stand your ground, even if that ‘something’ is travelling at 175 miles an hour and destroying everything in its path. If you want to protect your dream home, you have to take some risks. Lucky for you, we can help you minimize those risks.

Here are a few things you need to do when a hurricane is approaching your home sweet home. Better buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Protect Your House

Tammra McCauley, an established photographer from Spring, Texas, shows how to nicely board up a house through her pictures, (above & below), shot during Hurricane Ike in 2008.

If you expect your home to survive a cataclysm such as a hurricane, you need to prepare it accordingly. Board up your windows with thick plywood to keep water and strong winds from entering through it. Install storm doors and add extra bolts and padlocks to keep them from flying off the hinge. To protect the roof over your head, you’ll need special clips to keep them in place. The battle will be over even before it begins if your roof is uprooted. Garage doors are also vulnerable, so you need to reinforce them to have any chance of surviving.

Have an Emergency Supply

Emergency Supplies Advisory by the Town of Banff, Alberta, Canada

There’s no telling how long you’ll have to ride out the storm. It’s best to have an emergency supply of food and medicine in case things go from being bad to being worse. Stockpile canned food that can be eaten directly. There’s probably going to be a power outage, so have flashlights and candles on standby. Other items to hoard include toilet paper, batteries, items for personal hygiene and an all purpose knife. Store your emergency stash in a safe and dry place. It’ll be pointless to work like an ant, collecting things, only to lose it all.

Protect Your Investment

It’s good to be optimistic, but sometimes you should prepare for the worst case scenario. Your house should be insured against natural calamities. To receive your claim without any trouble, make an inventory of all your belongings. Make a list of all your possessions, starting from the most expensive and working your way down. Substantiate your list by taking pictures of every item in it. You can even shoot a video of your entire house, featuring the items on the list. Use cloud computing to save a digital copy of the list, in case there’s storm damage.

Know When the Battle Is Lost

Evacuations on in a disaster struck area – Photo Courtesy: FEMA

There comes a point in time when you have to evacuate to survive. Digging your heels in deep is not going to deviate the hurricane from its path. You need to have an escape plan to get your family and yourself to safety. Keep your car ready for when the time comes and try to save as many people as you can. Don’t try to carry anything that’ll weigh you down.

A hurricane is an occurrence that leaves behind destruction in its wake. If you don’t want to be a part of that destruction, follow the tips mentioned above. When the hurricane passes, you may still be standing.

Lisa Walker, is an intern at CareMaster, a renowned storm damage restoration company.  In her spare time, Lisa likes to play basketball or tend to her kitchen garden.