6 Ways You Can Prepare for Hurricane Season in 2020

6 Ways You Can Prepare for Hurricane Season in 2020

Preparing for hurricane season can seem daunting and unpredictable, but there are plenty of ways that you can anticipate the storm that will remove a considerable amount of panic when the time comes. Simply planning the following necessities will put you in a far better position than if no hurricane preparedness precautions were to be taken.

Pre-plan your evacuation route

This is a vital part of planning for an impending hurricane or tropical storm. You may be located in a safe area to hunker down for the storm, but in most cases, it is far safer to get ahead of the curve and skip town before it arrives. There are obviously some financial obligations attached to leaving your home for a few days, especially if there are no available friends or family to stay with, but the safety of yourself and your family is absolutely paramount. In the scenario that an evacuation order is issued, the following precautions are immensely important to consider as well.

Stock up on emergency supplies

If you have ever experienced the extensive damage a hurricane has on a community, you know that stocking up on the essentials is extremely necessary. It’s incredibly important to have a disaster kit ready with enough food, water, and toiletries to get you through at least a week before the hurricane or tropical storm hits. This may seem to be an over-estimation, but it is always better to over-prepare than under-prepare and find yourself without the things you need. Often-forgotten supplies include toilet-paper, toothpaste, first-aid supplies, flashlights or lanterns, lighters or matches, and recreational activities to keep spirits light.

Protect your home

This probably appears as the most obvious suggestion we can make, but how you protect your home is important to the likelihood of it coming out on the other side without a scratch. Firstly, you’re going to want to ensure that there are no loose items in your lawn, porch, or patio areas. Chairs, tables, flags and flagpoles, unsecured tents or pergolas, potted plants, and anything outside that you can pick up without unscrewing first are better off inside. If your home is surrounded by large trees with large branches, it would be smart to trim any branches that pose a threat to your roof. Boarding up windows, skylights, and doors with plywood or storm shutters will prevent flying debris from causing damage in those vulnerable areas. Lastly, acquiring sand bags and placing them in front of door frames and porches may keep unwanted water from entering the home.

Prepare for the power outage

The potential damage of a hurricane or tropical storm is vast and entirely unpredictable. Your neighborhood may experience extensive damage while, just a few streets over, there is minimal to no repercussions of the storm. Because of this, there is no real way to know if you will lose power, cellular connectivity, your WiFi network, or if you’ll have access to it for a number of days. If it is within your means to purchase a generator, they are worth the investment. This could potentially power your refrigerator to keep food fresh, your water heater (dependent on type), or keep the lights on in your house. Additionally, you may find it difficult to stay up-to-date on the latest news or communicate with surrounding communities if cellular and internet access are stripped away. It may make sense to purchase a radio to listen to local news updates to stay on top of post-storm life.

Be ready to leave at any minute

There is simply no telling when you will have to pack the car and leave. Evacuation orders may take place days before the storm hits and the hurricane or tropical storm could arrive in the middle of the night. The point is: you should be prepared for any scenario when evacuating. This means having all of the supplies and preparations mentioned ready-to-roll when the time comes. Included in your list of must-haves is a packed bag of clothes. To be on the safer side, we recommend packing a bag days ahead of time and even putting it in the vehicle you plan to use for evacuation purposes.

Have a plan of action post-storm

As we have alluded to already, the damage a hurricane can cause is far-reaching and utterly unpredictable. If your home is flooded with water or experiences structural damage because of the storm, contact your local restoration company immediately. At Clean N Dry, we take pride in our responsiveness to emergency restoration jobs and are absolutely committed to client satisfaction. The repercussions of a hurricane can penetrate many different facets of our lives, so to employ certified, trained professionals to take care of a job will certainly put you at ease.   These are just a few of our most important recommendations while preparing for hurricane season this year. We understand the it brings into our lives and the emotions attached, so we are simply trying to remove the guesswork post-storm. For any water, fire, or mold restoration services, please give us a call at (877) DRY-9111.