Here are five steps homeowners can take to protect their property during stormy weather to reduce the chance of catastrophic damages:
1. Clear away outdoor items
Make sure all lawn furniture, gardening tools, sporting equipment and other outdoor items are stored away if a storm is heading your way.
High winds during a heavy storm can potentially pick up these items and send them flying through a window or far away from your home.
2. Trim the trees
Take time to examine the trees in your yard or surrounding your house.
Storms will often snap large tree branches, which can damage your home's siding, smash your car or even topple power lines and cause outages.
Stand up on a ladder (carefully) and check how the branches are attached to the trunks of trees around your house.
If the tree has a loose connection with a big branch, consider sawing it off. It might reduce some shade in the yard, but can potentially protect your home.
3. Install storm shutters
No matter how many preventative measures you take in your yard and around your home, the turbulent winds and heavy rains of a storm can still damage your windows.
If you live in an area that frequently gets hit with high winds or is prone to hurricanes, storm shutters can prevent your windows from shattering and protect you from harsh debris.
4. Have standby power
Electricity lines are vulnerable during storms.
Fallen branches can easily snap the power lines, and lightning strikes can blow up transformers, causing major power outages.
A whole-house surge protective device runs in the $200 to $300 range and is easy for an electrician to install.
Heavy rainstorms can lead to flooding, which can potentially wreak havoc on homes.
Water damage can devalue a house and cause significant problems with the foundation.
Nobody can control the weather, but if you’re a homeowner in an area that could potentially get struck by a large storm, you should always be prepared for the worst.