main-logo
  • Services
    • Water Damage Restoration
    • Fire Damage Restoration
    • Mold Remediation
    • Insurance Restoration
    • HVAC Decontamination
    • Drying & Dehumidification
  • Commercial
    • COVID-19 Cleaning & Decontamination Services
    • Document & Media Recovery
    • Commercial Cleaning Services
    • Priority Disaster Response Program
  • Residential
  • Construction
    • Residential Construction
    • Commercial Construction
    • Multi-Family Construction
    • Controlled Demolitions
  • Disasters
    • Residential Disaster Recovery
    • Commercial Disaster Recovery
    • Priority Disaster Response Program
    • Emergency Repairs
    • Emergency Board-Up Services
    • Storm Damage Repairs
    • Natural Disasters
    • Biohazard Cleanup
    • Personal Effects Recovery
    • Packout Restoration Services
    • Aviation & Transportation Incidents
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Careers
    • Our Reviews
    • Our History
    • Our Clients
    • Resources
    • Blog
    • Acquisitions
  • Locations
×
  • Services
    • Water Damage Restoration
    • Fire Damage Restoration
    • Mold Remediation
    • Insurance Restoration
    • HVAC Decontamination
    • Drying & Dehumidification
  • Commercial
    • COVID-19 Cleaning & Decontamination Services
    • Document & Media Recovery
    • Commercial Cleaning Services
    • Priority Disaster Response Program
  • Residential
  • Construction
    • Residential Construction
    • Commercial Construction
    • Multi-Family Construction
    • Controlled Demolitions
  • Disasters
    • Residential Disaster Recovery
    • Commercial Disaster Recovery
    • Priority Disaster Response Program
    • Emergency Repairs
    • Emergency Board-Up Services
    • Storm Damage Repairs
    • Natural Disasters
    • Biohazard Cleanup
    • Personal Effects Recovery
    • Packout Restoration Services
    • Aviation & Transportation Incidents
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Careers
    • Our Reviews
    • Our History
    • Our Clients
    • Resources
    • Blog
    • Acquisitions
  • Locations
24-Hour Response
877-899-0676
24-Hour Response
877-899-0676

Prevent Damage from Storms to Your Home with These 7 Simple Steps

Home / Disaster Recovery / Prevent Damage from Storms to Your Home with These 7 Simple Steps
May 17, 2019

We can’t control Mother Nature, but we can do some preventative things to help keep her out of our homes during storm season.

storm damage repairWhen storms rage, we can feel like we’re at the mercy of wind, rain and hail. Florida gets hit hard at different times of the year. In 2016, losses from storms set a record–almost $4 billion in damages in the Miami and Orlando areas. You can’t avoid the storms, but with a few tips, you can minimize the aftereffects of seasonal storms and water damage. Here are seven simple tips to help protect your home against damage from storms.

1. Protect Your Windows!

When rain breaches your windows, there’s not much you can do until the storm passes. Whether it’s a broken window pane from a tree branch, hail or water leaking around the seals, do some prep work to keep water outside where it belongs.

If a storm is on the way, cover your windows with plywood or close your exterior shutters. Plywood isn’t pretty–but it works to keep your windows intact during wind and hail. It’s a temporary fix until the storm passes. You can also tape your windows to give them extra strength. Depending on the strength of the storm, the tape might not be as effective as boarding.

As part of your annual spring maintenance, check your window seals. Make sure the windows close and seal properly to keep water from leaking in. If the seals need a touch-up, adding some caulk is a simple DIY job. It’s worth the effort to seal and cover windows to protect your home from storm damage.

2. Clear the Deck

This goes for anything loose in the yard or on patios and decks. When objects aren’t tied down or put away, objects can crash through windows and doors. Flying objects can cause more damage than necessary during high winds.

Put lawn chairs, equipment, and toys away in a garage or shed. Take down patio table umbrellas and put outdoor cushions away — stack chairs to keep them from blowing across the yard. In extremely high winds, unhook water hoses and put them away, as well. Winds can pick up a hose and tear pipes out of the ground.

3. Unplug Appliances

If you don’t need to use it during a storm, unplug it. Chances are, you’ll lose power in a severe storm, and power surges can damage appliances and anything plugged into an outlet during a storm.

Disconnect the power for your washer and dryer. You don’t need to do laundry during a storm! Take precautions to keep a surge from ruining these appliances. Charge phones and a portable radio ahead of time. Unplug the television and computer to also protect from a power surge.

4. Take Care of the Trees

It might seem silly to do your landscaping before a storm blows through, but you’ll be thankful for fewer branches to damage your home or car. Take a walk around your property and check tree branches for anything too close to the house.

Trim branches away from the roof and your windows. If the wind and rain knock down a heavy branch, you want it to fall on the open ground–not your home or your new car.

5. Cover the Car

Speaking of your car, make sure you find a covered parking place for it. Whether it’s the garage, carport or an open parking garage, don’t leave your car in the open driveway. If it’s a matter of choosing between the junk taking up space in your garage versus clearing that space for your car, choose your car. The day or two before a major storm could be the perfect motivation you need to dump the junk in your garage.

6. Move On Up

If your home sits in a high-potential flood area, get as high as you can. Move your family and your valuables to the second floor of your house, if available. Any essential documents should go inside waterproof packaging and set on a high shelf. Include insurance policies, passports, and credit cards in a waterproof place out of reach of rising waters. Small electronics–like phones or laptops–should also go in protective bags to keep them dry.

If available before the storm, place heavy sandbags inside and outside doors. These should sit tight against the crack of the door to help keep rising water out of your home. When a severe flood threat is inevitable, leave your home before the storm comes. Do not risk yours or your family’s safety by trying to ride out a dangerous storm.

Your home and possessions are replaceable! Take important paperwork and your loved ones and head for higher ground until the storm passes.

7. Don’t Forget Your Pets!

Your emergency disaster or home protection plan should include your pets. Be sure they have a place to go, clean water and food to survive the storm with you. If it’s not safe to keep them with you during the storm, send your pets to a temporary place until it’s a good time for them to return to your home. Find a friend or loved one who can take of your dog or cat until your home is safe and dry.

Make sure your pets have microchips for easy identification. During storms, it’s not uncommon for small pets or larger animals to become frightened, run away or become lost. If your pet has clear identification, they’ll more easily make their way back to you when the storm passes.

Prevention Protects Against Damage From Storms

Storms are unavoidable, but with some preventive measures your home can better withstand damage from storms. Even with prevention, the cleanup and recovery can be overwhelming after a storm. Whether it’s a lot or a little, you don’t have to do it alone.

Our disaster and restoration services help you secure and clean up damage from water, fire, or other disasters. Contact us for emergency help or to schedule an appointment for help!

Filed Under: Disaster Recovery, Water Damage Restoration

Search

Subscribe to our Blog

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Categories

  • Air Duct Cleaning
  • Carpet Cleaning
  • Disaster Recovery
  • Document Recovery
  • Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration
  • General
  • Helpful Tips
  • Insurance
  • Mold Remediation
  • News & Press
  • Reconstruction
  • Restoration
  • Social Media
  • Tile & Grout Cleaning
  • Transportation
  • Upholstery & Furniture Cleaning
  • Water Damage Restoration
  • White Papers

Archives

  • May 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • March 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015

We Service Your Area

  • Atlanta

  • Austin

  • Boston

  • Charleston

  • Charlotte

  • Chicago

  • College Station

  • Colorado Springs

  • Columbus

  • Dallas

  • Denver

  • Detroit

  • Exton

  • Fayetteville - Design Center

  • Fayetteville

  • Harrisburg

  • Houston

  • Huntingdon Valley

  • Lehigh Valley

  • Los Angeles

  • Miami

  • Milwaukee

  • Nashville

  • New Jersey

  • New York

  • Oklahoma City

  • Orlando

  • Pittsburgh

  • Philadelphia

  • Phoenix

  • Port Huron

  • Raleigh

  • San Antonio

  • San Francisco

  • Scranton

  • Tampa

  • Tulsa

  • Washington D.C.

  • Wilmington

  • See All Locations

We Service Your Area

  • Atlanta

  • Austin

  • Boston

  • Charleston

  • Charlotte

  • Chicago

  • College Station

  • Colorado Springs

  • Columbus

  • Dallas

  • Denver

  • Detroit

  • Exton

  • Fayetteville - Design Center

  • Fayetteville

  • Harrisburg

  • Houston

  • Huntingdon Valley

  • Lehigh Valley

  • Los Angeles

  • Miami

  • Milwaukee

  • Nashville

  • New Jersey

  • New York

  • Oklahoma City

  • Orlando

  • Pittsburgh

  • Philadelphia

  • Phoenix

  • Port Huron

  • Raleigh

  • San Antonio

  • San Francisco

  • Scranton

  • Tampa

  • Tulsa

  • Washington D.C.

  • Wilmington

  • See All Locations

  • Commercial
  • Residential
  • Construction
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Disasters
  • About Us
  • Locations
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map
  • CE Courses

Corporate Headquarters
5718 Airport Freeway
Haltom City, TX, 76117

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • rss
  • youtube

Copyright © 2023 - All rights reserved.