How To Protect Your Home From A Hurricane

Hurricane season is upon us in many parts of the Eastern Seaboard. The strength of these storms is intensifying. Climate change is causing hurricanes to become more frequent as well as potent. With this in mind, we need to do more to protect our houses. 

It is important to have a power source for the inevitable outages. Having a solar generator like a Bluetti solar generator AC200 is a great idea if you are looking for a sustainable way to power your home. 

Preparing for a hurricane goes beyond having a reliable power source. The house itself needs to be protected against damage. In this article, we will cover the basics of preparing your home for a hurricane.

Clear your yard

The wind itself can do a lot of damage. The bulk of the damage comes from everything the wind blows around. Windows get broken due to debris that is in the air and not the wind itself. 

It will pay off to go through your yard and clear anything that can be blown around. Think of your lawn furniture. It can be flung around by strong and sustained winds. Put the furniture in a shed or basement. 

The same holds true for other items. Your grill or children’s toys will also need to be put away. 

Tree limbs can be blown off of a tree and become a safety hazard. Go through your yard and identify the trees that pose a problem. Before the storm hits, cut down loose limbs or have an arborist come and take care of them. 

Use sandbags

Flooding is a considerable danger to be aware of. People living in low-lying areas are especially susceptible. As the water rises, it will find ways to get into your home. Water damage is pervasive and difficult to clean up. 

Using sandbags around the doors will prevent water from entering your home. A storm surge by a beach or waterfront can throw tons of water at your home. The sandbags will prevent most of the water from getting in as long as it is less than a foot of water. 

You should be able to get sandbags from your local town stationed in areas that see the most floods. 

Cover the windows

If you live near the coast, then having hurricane shutters is a wise investment. They offer strong protection and ease of installation. 

If you are not frequently dealing with hurricanes, then using wood panels is the next best option. The wood should be strong plywood that can be screwed into place over the windows. Strong brackets to secure the wood are a must. 

Also, avoid taping your windows as a substitute for mounting plywood. The tape will do nothing if the windows are hit with flying debris. 

Scan important documents

Damage can occur even when you’ve done your part to secure the house. Avoid losing important documents to flood or fire damage by scanning them. Upload them to the cloud, and you will have permanent access to them if you are displaced from your home.