How to Prepare Your Home/Business for Spring Storms (Commercial/Residential)
Article updated as of March 17, 2023
Spring means warmer temperatures and blooming flowers, but it can also mean unpredictable weather. During spring, cold air from the north clashes with the humid, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico setting the stage for intense weather. With high winds, flooding, hail, tornadoes and thunderstorms, spring storms can cause tremendous damage to your home or business.
No matter where you live in the U.S., the chances of experiencing a severe storm such as a tornado or thunderstorm is greatly increased during the spring time. You can protect your property from costly damages by providing proper maintenance and preparing it for inclement weather. How do you prepare for spring storms?
Preparing Your Property for Spring Storms Checklist
The items below can help you determine how to prepare your home for spring storms. These items also are relevant for preparing your business for spring storms.
Check Your Roof
Your roof is your home’s first defense against the elements associated with spring such as hail, rain and strong winds. Any small issues in your roofing structure can result in extensive damages. For example, a damaged shingle may allow rain to leak into your home causing water damage. Oftentimes, a water damaged roof can be hard to spot. By the time the issue becomes noticeable, it may have developed secondary mold damage. The time and cost of having a roofing professional inspect and maintain your roof is significantly lower than the cost of water and mold damage mitigation.
Check and Clean Your Gutters
Spring is considered the rainiest season of the year, and your gutters are designed to move rainwater from your home to a designated drainage area. A home with a failing gutter system is asking for damage to its foundation. Water has the potential to cause erosion due to soil washing away each time it rains. Over time, this causes your home’s foundation to shift and crack. Repairing and getting your gutters cleaned ensures that they are working at their full potential to protect your home and wallet.
Check the Pump
As the spring saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers” and those spring showers can be heavy. If your home has a basement, it’s crucial to check your sump pump before heavy rainfall. Cleaning debris, checking electrical components and running a quick test with a bucket of water, ensure that it’s fully functional. It’s recommended that your home’s sump pump is replaced every 10 years. Having a plumbing professional inspect your sump pump can prevent a flooded basement.
Prepare a Disaster Kit
Spring thunderstorms can knock your home’s electricity out. You can prepare your home by keeping candles, a backup generator, battery powered flashlights and a first aid kit handy. You can see a full list of storm supplies recommended by FEMA by visiting their website.
Sometimes Spring Storm Preparation Isn’t Enough
Spring weather is unpredictable and can present weather ranging from beautiful sunshine to extreme thunderstorms consisting of high winds, heavy rain and even hail in a matter of minutes. Prepping your home or office facility for the unexpected is your first line of defense against damages, but disasters can happen.
Spring Storm Damage
Based on the severity of the storm, there can be several common types of damage because of spring storms. These are the most common types of damage:
Water Damage
Spring is the rainiest season of the year. With rain, comes the potential for flooding and water damage. When water makes its way into your property, it is essential to have it removed or extracted as soon as possible. The sooner standing water is extracted, the quicker the affected areas can start to dry out. The longer the water sits unaddressed, the higher the potential for mold growth.
Hail Damage
Hail can wreak havoc on the structure of your property. Hail can damage windows, gutters, and roofs. The extent of damage is based on the size of hail – which can range from the size of a pea to the size of a softball. The larger the hail, the greater change that it can cause puncture to the roof of your home of office building.
Wind Damage
Spring storms are notorious for bringing strong wind gusts. When winds gain strength and are severe, they can cause damage to the structure of your property. In addition, heavy winds can blow items in the landscape of your property into windows or walls, and cause tree limbs to fall you’re your building.
Spring Storm Damage Restoration
Luckily, we offer a variety of storm damage restoration services – which include performing emergency repairs, water removal & extraction, and reconstruction services. Our emergency repair services help prevent secondary damage from occurring to your property. Examples of these services include tarping up any areas of your property that are exposed to the outside elements, along with boarding up broken windows or spaces.
Blackmon Mooring & BMS CAT have been a leader in the disaster restoration industry since 1948 and we know that they can strike without warning. Our experts stand by 24/7 to help your property with any spring storm restoration services. With locations across the United States, our teams standby to help restore, rebuild and recover your property after spring storm damage.