Tips on Preparing for Hurricane Season

Hurricane season for the Atlantic coast typically starts on June 1st and spans all the way to November 30th. Despite the mild past few seasons, we could be in store for a doozy this year because of a possible transition to La Niña conditions. The season started very early for 2016 with the formation of hurricane Alex that appeared in the Northeastern Atlantic of January 2016. If you’re a Southern Florida resident, your primary concerns with the impending storm season are to protect your property and family by efficiently securing your home. Here are some of our best tips for safeguarding your precious cargo during inclement weather:

• Secure or stow away all outdoor items like patio furniture, kid’s playsets, bikes and grills into a shed or garage. These items can be swept up by high winds and end up hitting your home, windows or doors and causing major damages.
• Make sure your home is equipped with storm doors and windows. This is a great permanent solution for year-round storm protection. It’s a much safer and efficient alternative to boarding up your windows and doors with wooden planks which must be done before a storm starts. If these boards are not installed properly, the method can backfire and cause even more damage to your home.
• Trim large dead limbs off of trees and shrubs around your property. Trees take quite a beating during high winds and it’s possible for branches to be ripped off and turned into flying projectiles. Those branches pose a threat to unsecured windows and doors and can cause substantial structural damage to your home.
• Be proactive and replace loose and cracked windows in your home as soon as possible. Broken glass flying around can cause major injuries and be extremely dangerous. These cracks and broken windows can also allow a lot of water into your home which can damage walls, flooring and furniture.
• Make an emergency family plan for when severe storms approach. It’s important to make sure there is a meeting spot for all family members. Prepare for events including evacuation for your family and pets. Keep a list of this emergency plan with all vital information and phone numbers in an accessible spot and review this plan at least once a year.

Hurricane season is inevitable, so it’s important to take steps to ensure the safety of your family and home before the storms hit. Investing in hurricane-resistant windows and doors for your home is one of the best ways to protect what is valuable to you. Make an appointment for an estimate today and feel safer this hurricane season.