Prepare your home for Hurricane Season
With our first major storm of the season days away from making landfall, it’s time to prepare your home & family for a storm! These massive storms can cause a great deal of damage including powerful winds, flooding and even tornadoes as we’ve seen from past Hurricanes Matthew & Irma. According to the top weather forecasters, September is the busiest month for hurricanes to make landfall. In any event, it’s still best & safest to be prepared regardless.
While Dorian currently looks to be heading to central Florida, should we see another hurricane headed our way it is important to prepare your family and your home! Here are a few tips from the CDC for preparing your home in coastal Georgia.
Clean your yard.
If your yard is littered with toddler toys & lawn chairs like mine is, this might not be what you wanted to hear. Before the storm hits, make sure your yard is clear of anything that could blow around and damage your home or your neighbors’ homes. This includes patio furniture, those pesky toddler toys, cooking grills, and bicycles- anything not secured.
Cover those windows.
Hurricanes can sustain winds over 100mph, that can cause severe damage to your home! Head down to our friends at Harris Ace Hardware and grab some plywood to cover your windows. Not only will this save you from having to replace any windows, but it will also keep your family safe from shattered glass.
Fill containers with clean drinking water.
It’s always a good idea to pick up some bottled water from the store. But you can also fill pitchers and other containers with potable water for use during and after the storm. Use ziploc bags, or sealable containers & store them in your freezer beforehand. If you do lose power, these containers will act like ice packs & keep your food cold! Fill up those sinks and bathtubs, too, for washing.
Prepare to lose power.
Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence with hurricanes & any large storms. Wind may cause trees to fall and take power lines with them, and if some areas are hit badly it can take days to resolve outages. Stock up on batteries, flashlights and possibly a generator to “weather the storm” until power is restored.
Check smoke & CO detectors.
A forgotten candle or running generator without ventilation could lead to fatal circumstances. Having your smoke & CO detectors up to par could be lifesavers!
As always, during a hurricane stay tuned to National Weather Service updates and alerts. Residents can also subscribe to services like Liberty County EMA’s Alert Liberty, for specific updates in your area. If a mandatory evacuation order is given, the best thing to do is leave. Take your valuables, load up the family and hit the road!
After the storm has passed and it is safe to return home, you may need to assess the damage. Take photos of any damages, and document them with your insurance company. Be careful when picking up debris, as downed power lines may not always be visible.
Consider these pages when looking for information during hurricane season!
