5 Ways to Protect Your House from Severe Summer Weather

Living in Florida, I have been through my share of severe summer weather. In 2004, four major hurricanes and a tropical storm came through our state. Charley, a category 4 storm, made landfall not 10 miles from my house. Hurricane Jeanne was so large, it covered the entire state at once. Luckily, I had no major damage, but that was because I had done what was necessary to protect my home. Not all areas have storms as damaging as hurricanes, but the heat of summer can whip up some powerful storms that can wreak real havoc. Sometimes there is no way to be prepared, such as with tornadoes or major hurricanes, but you should at least know the probabilities and make as many preparations as possible.

1. Batten Down the Hatches
   Have your supplies on hand in advance to board up your house if you need to. Home stores will be swamped and there is no guarantee you will get what you need. I had boards cut and numbered for all my windows with the screws and tools to attach them in a handy place with sandbags filled and stacked in the garage all season. The more prepared you are to board up and secure your house quickly and efficiently, the less chance you have of major damage.
2. Trim Tree Limbs Away from the House
   A lot of damage can be done by a tree limb being slapped up against your house or roof repeatedly in high winds. Before storm season starts, cut back limbs that could cause problems. Also trim away any dead or diseased limbs that could be ripped off and become missiles.
3. Have a Place to Store Outdoor Furniture and Plants
   I had a garage, which was very handy for stashing the outdoor furniture and plants. If you don’t, make plans to store them somewhere safe so they aren’t blowing around the yard potentially doing damage to your house. In fact, you should keep your yard free of all loose objects that could become projectiles during storm season.
4. Tie Down Sheds and Dog Houses
   My neighbor’s nearly new shed…or most of it…ended up in my back yard after Charley went through. A few tie-down cables anchored into the ground could have prevented that. Dog houses need to be tied down as well, especially ones small enough to be picked up by strong winds. Tie-down stakes and cables are relatively inexpensive and can be installed quickly when a storm approaches.
5. Secure Your Garage Door
   Garage doors present a large, flat surface for wind, and can be blown in relatively easily. It’s estimated that 80% of hurricane wind damage is caused by wind entering through the garage door. For states prone to hurricanes, storm-resistant garage doors are now required, but there are also very effective vertical bracing systems available that can be installed relatively quickly for extra protection on older homes.

This is very little to do to perhaps save your home and possessions. Having everything organized to be put in place quickly will save you time in a situation like I was in, where I had only an hour to get out. If I hadn’t had things already up and in place, the damage would probably have been a lot worse. It’s always better safe than sorry when you’re dealing with severe summer weather.

More from Deborah Aldridge:

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How I Lowered my Cholesterol 40 Points with a Healthy Diet
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