How To Prepare Your Home for a Severe Storm

Would you be prepared if your home were to be hit with a tornado, severe thunderstorm, or major flooding? We never know when a natural disaster could strike, which is why it’s so crucial that you should know how to prepare your home for a severe storm.

Clear Limbs and Dead Trees

One of the most common ways homes sustains substantial damage is from falling limbs and trees. The intense winds of a storm significantly affect dead trees, so you must stay aware of the health of the trees near your house. Anything that shows signs of age, such as cracks and breaks in the bark, should be removed to avoid future damage.

Also, limbs that hang over the house should get cut down regardless of if they’re alive or not. Live plants are less likely to fall, but the lighting of a storm can cause a perfectly healthy tree to split in half in milliseconds.

Secure Outdoor Furniture

If you don’t want your Adirondack chair to end up in the tornado with the Wicked Witch, you’ll need to secure your furniture. They don’t need to get attached for every storm, but you should lock your furniture together with a chain for the severe ones. Their combined weight should be enough for them all to stay in place. This process is especially important if houses are near rivers, lakes, or the sea. You wouldn’t want your furniture to get washed away by the current and never seen it again.

Store any outdoor cushions or pillows in a waterproof space. Some homeowners opt for an outdoor container, but those can become infested with mold. Other people simply bring the cushions inside.

Clean Gutters

Many people ignore their gutters and won’t clean them until something goes wrong. However, one of the most important reasons to keep clean gutters is because they’re the first line of defense from water leaks. Many people don’t realize that they should clean their gutters at least twice a year. If not, dirt and debris will start slowly building up. Eventually, there won’t be a canal for the water to run through, so the rain will seep over the sides and into any cracks in your exterior walls.

Set Up an Emergency Pack

If your power goes out, are you prepared? This winter, Texas found out just how serious it can be to lose power for extended periods. In the case of power outages, you should always have an emergency pack with water, food, a first aid kit, a crank radio, and a portable phone charger.

Now that you know how to prepare your home for a severe storm, you can take the necessary preparatory steps to protect your house.

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