Getting your home ready for a storm can make a difference in the impact a storm could have on your house and yard. With a little prep work, you can prepare your home for severe weather, helping to reduce damage and clean-up afterwards.
If you live in an area that seems to have frequent thunderstorms with heavy rain, high winds and even hail, you can help minimize damage and be storm-ready by first clearing your gutters. When they are clogged with leaves and debris, the heavy rain run-off can’t escape and can cause damage to both the interior and the exterior of your home, from leaks, pooling, and flooding. Make sure all of your outer windows and doors have good weather stripping.
Secure or bring inside anything that is lightweight like lighter patio furniture, umbrellas and smaller potted plants. Move plants under a covered area, or into your garage. Remember, high winds can pick up a lighter object and smash it into your house.
Keep your trees trimmed of overgrowth and dead branches to give the trees the best chance of surviving storms intact. This also helps reduce the chances of branches breaking onto roofs or cars during a storm. Park cars in your garage or under a nearby shelter during a storm for extra safety. Finally, put together an easily accessible stash of storm gear containing flashlights, water, a battery-operated radio and portable power chargers for phones.
