Hurricane Preparations for Home and Yard

Preparing the House for Hurricanes and Tropical Storms

Jul 2, 2009

Prevent and minimize property damage from a hurricane or tropical storm by preparing your home and yard for strong winds and rain.

When a hurricane or tropical storm is in the weather forecast, homeowners must take time to prepare their homes and yards to help reduce the potential for serious property damage and injury.

Preparing the Home for a Hurricane

When a hurricane or tropical storm is in the forecast, homeowners should put up storm shutters or hurricane fabric panels over the home's windows and doors. If storm shutters or hurricane fabric panels are not available, plywood can be used to cover windows and doors, providing some protection from flying debris.

The home should be stocked with two weeks worth of food, water, and storm supplies for humans and pets. If the residents have an emergency generator, a stockpile of gasoline will be necessary to fuel the generator.

Anyone with a well must remember that without electricity, the well pump is not going to work, so appropriate supplies of water will also need to be kept on-hand.

For coastal homes and homes that are located in an area that's prone to flooding, all electronics, chemicals and other valuables should be moved to a higher location either within the home, or at a storage unit or friend's/family member's home that's situated outside of the region.

Prepare Screened-In Porches and Pool Cages for Hurricanes

All porch and patio furniture must be brought indoors when a hurricane is going to strike; otherwise, strong winds will turn patio furniture into flying projectiles that can cause serious damage to nearby homes. Fan blades should be removed from outdoor fixtures and all decorations should be brought inside.

Pools should be left uncovered. Pool owners may be tempted to cover the pool to keep out debris, but the high winds of a hurricane or tropical storm are apt to send the pool cover flying in the middle of the storm.

When a category four or five hurricane is predicted, homeowners should use a razor to cut the screens on porches and pool cages. The screening is apt to tear during the storm anyways, and leaving screens in place can actually result in serious damage to pool cages and aluminum porch framing.

Porch and pool cage screening — especially very fine screening that's designed to keep out the tiniest of insects like "no-see-'ems" — provides a surprising amount of wind resistance. When faced with the high winds of a category four or five hurricane, aluminum porch and pool cage frames have been known to warp and even collapse due to the extra wind resistance that's created by the screening. In short, it's less expensive to replace the screening than it is to replace the entire pool cage or porch screen frame.

Tropical Storm and Hurricane Preparations for the Yard

Pruning is essential to prevent serious damage to landscaping during a hurricane or tropical storm. Thinning trees, bushes and shrubs is vital to prevent breakage as a result of high winds; the winds will be able to move through the plant with greater ease once the plant has been thinned.

Tree branches that overhang the home should be cut back to prevent damage from a tree limb landing on the house. Branches located near electrical or phone lines should also be removed.

All objects should be brought indoors. This includes toys, swing sets, mailboxes, lawn and garden decorations, gardening tools, birdbaths, dog houses, wind chimes, satellite dishes, trampolines, garbage cans and any other items that could potentially turn into a flying projectile during the storm.

Stockade fencing is especially prone to collapse during a hurricane or tropical storm; removing every third panel can reduce wind resistance and improve the fence's chances of surviving the storm.

And finally, before a major hurricane or tropical storm strikes, homeowners should take time to document the condition of their property. Photographs or video of the property (inside the home, outside the home and the surrounding yard) can be invaluable when the time comes to file insurance claims.

Related Articles on Hurricane and Storm Preparation

The copyright of the article Hurricane Preparations for Home and Yard in Seasonal Home Maintenance is owned by Mia Carter. Permission to republish Hurricane Preparations for Home and Yard in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.