June to November, five short months that can devastate millions of people. Being prepared for it can save your life and save the things you love most. Even though we can go a year without any devastation, Florida is the leading state for hurricanes. You need to ready with hurricane preparation and what to expect afterwards.
Have a plan with your family. Make sure there is a safe place with no windows that everyone can be protected. It might not be comfortable, but you will be safe. It has always been recommended to stay on the lowest level of your house. Closets and bathrooms have been known to be good areas to take cover in. Go through drills and exercises so everyone is not scrambling around when it is time to be serious. If you have children express to them about the dangers and staying close but have things ready for them. Games and toys to make the time go by easier. Do not forget your pets, have them microchipped and involve them in the planning. They often get very scared and run so have a good plan about who is grabbing them. A little early planning can go a long way.
A common mistake is to keep the supplies away from where your safe place is. Store everything accordingly, have it relatively nearby. Some supplies that you can stock up on are bottles/gallons of water, nonperishable foods (canned goods), flashlights, battery’s, first aid kits, and a hand crank radio. It is important to have at least three days’ worth of food and water per person. This might seem like a lot but being prepared can save you long term. Investing in a generator is always a good option as well, if your area is affected you could be without power for over three weeks.
Protect your investments. Your home might be all that you have so take some steps to ensure that it lasts through the storm. Windows and doors are usually the first to break off and fly away. You can store boards and caulk for when the day comes. Caulk the seal around all the windows and nail up the boards when you know the storm is coming. We recommend not caulking your door, but you can put extra locks to secure it. Also, get sandbags. During a storm a lot of places will do free sandbag fill ups. These can be such a great asset for floods, stack them in front of back doors and any other points of entry that water could flood in.
DO NOT EMPTY YOUR POOL! Having water in the pool provides enough weight to keep it in the ground. Empty pools are known to float or pop out of the ground. Pressure from the excessive ground water caused by a lot of heavy rains can really damage your pool. Use sandbags to surround the equipment, then cover with a plastic tarp.
When it comes to your vehicles the garage is the best option. If you do not have a garage, buy a cover and put sandbags behind each tire. Remove all items that can fly away from your yard and porch. Anything can be a projectile and could possibly hurt your vehicle.
In certain scenarios you must evacuate. There is only so much you can do to protect your home. Develop a solid plan about where you would go and contact someone in a different area with your whereabouts so they can check in on you. Board up everything you can, use the sandbags, and take everything you can inside. Take valuables with you. Anything irreplaceable to you should be taken with. Do not leave your pets. In many areas it is a felony to leave them behind, they are just as scared as you.
Whenever you return home or whenever you finally open the front door just be prepared for the worst. Category 1 hurricanes start at 74mph and it only goes up from there. That amount of wind constantly lashing against your home will do some significant damage. There is often a lot of flooding, in some areas mud slides, trees have fallen over, and various amounts of property damage. Make sure you asses all damages, make a list, take pictures, and submit a claim to your insurance company as soon as possible. Acting fast will help prevent further damage.
Hurricanes can be terrifying, but CEO Restoration is here for you. We are available 24/7 for any emergency you may have. No one should go through such a loss but if you do, we are here to help. Take the necessary steps for hurricane preparation to ensure your safety and we will be there for you for the aftermath.