The Chattahoochee Valley has seen its fair share of severe weather. Thunderstorms with heavy winds, hail, and flooding are things many of us are all too familiar with, especially certain times of the year.
Occasionally, our region will even see impacts from hurricanes making their way off the coast.
September is national preparedness month, and while we can’t help prepare for every disaster out there, we thought we’d touch on one close to our hearts–disaster proofing your home.
When a big storm is on the way, your to-do list will be long. So, it’s good if you already have some disaster preparedness steps underway before the forecasters tell you to prepare. Here are a few things you can do to prepare when everything is calm:
- Locate shut off items
When disaster hits, sometimes you’ll need to shut off your gas, electricity or water. These should be places you are familiar with in your home already, but if you aren’t, it’s time to locate each of these shut offs in the event you need to use them.
2. Safely store papers
Make sure you know where your house deed and home insurance papers are and store them in a safe that is water and fireproof. That way, if you do suffer any home damage, you will not have to dig to find what you need to begin repairs.
3. Make a safety plan
It’s important that all members of your household understand the plan for different scenarios. Where will you go in the event of a tornado? (Somewhere without windows and things that can fall). What’s the plan for getting out of your home in case of a fire? And where will you go if you need to evacuate?
These are all things to know and consider beforehand so there is limited room for confusion during stressful situations.
4. Do a limb check
Some homes around here are surrounded by beautiful trees. But, you want to make sure those trees don’t become a hazard in a storm. The best thing to do is check your trees often. Have any dead hanging limbs cut down and if an entire tree is dead, have it cut down. Otherwise, it may be more likely to fall with heavy winds and can cause real damage.
When a storm is on the way, here are the things you should do to prepare:
1. Secure outdoor items
Local meteorologists always encourage us to make sure outdoor items are put away or tied down when severe weather is on the way. That’s because it doesn’t take much for winds to blow things over, and many of those things could do damage to your home if they are taken in the right direction. Make sure toys and small things are put away. Tie down larger items or store them in a facility.
2. Secure shutters and windows
In most instances, we don’t live in a place where you’d need to board up your windows like some places do. But, it’s still a good idea to make sure your shutters are secured and won’t come loose during winds. Check screens outside windows to make sure they are still on tight and remove anything that could end up breaking the glass if it went flying with wind.
3. Check flood areas
Some of us in the region live in flood zones. For these people you may need to install some extra protection around the lower levels of your home. A rigid foam insulation or plastic sheeting can help keep water out. If you do have any areas of your home that typically get water inside, it’s also a good idea to elevate furniture if possible.
These are not an exhaustive list of storm protections, but they are a good start for helping your home be ready for any weather that comes its way. Make sure you know above all else how to keep you and your family safe.
