Officially beginning on June 1st, the hurricane season that typically affects the entire Atlantic region is just around the corner. This means that every single homeowner, who lives in Houston or any other Texas city that was ever pummeled by a major storm, should spring into action to prepare his home for the worst. If you’re ready to batten down the hatches, Allied Foundation is here with a few helpful tips.
Tip #1: Prepare a complete disaster supply kit.
After assessing the effects of hurricanes over the past few years, CDC recommends that Houstonians have an emergency kit, which should include:
- water and non-perishable food, such as dry and canned foods, for at least 3 days;
- first-aid supplies, including any prescription medicines that you take;
- pet and/or baby supplies, if applicable;
- sanitation and personal hygiene items;
- a few flashlights, a battery-operated radio, and fresh batteries;
- a waterproof container with cash;
- a plan for evacuation, including the closest shelters;
- a family plan on how to stay in touch in case you’re separated.
For more information on how to prepare for a hurricane, visit the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
Tip #2: Secure your home.
Since your home is one of your most valuable assets, it’s important to know how to keep it safe during a storm. Just before a hurricane strikes, cover all of your windows with storm shutters or plywood. Installing storm shutters or boarding up your windows with plywood will protect your home from any flying debris that could break your windows and enter your home. Nowadays, you can also find hurricane-resistant windows that offer an extra layer of protection. In addition, you can install roof clips or straps, which will prevent your roof from being blown off by high winds. As well, replacing or repairing any missing or damaged shingles and cleaning your gutters before the hurricane season starts is an effective way to reduce the risk of flood and water damage to your home.
Tip #3: Consider purchasing a backup generator.
As you may know already, power outages during storms and hurricanes have become the norm throughout the Houston area. Depending on how severe the damage to the power grid is, a power outage can last for many days. Therefore, having a portable or standby generator can be a huge advantage, as it will restore power to some of your appliances, such as your AC system, security system, refrigerator, and oven, as well as to some of the lights throughout your property. In order to choose the right generator for your home, make sure that you research the types of generators, sizes, and features available before buying one. It is important to note that this is something you should do before a storm enters the Gulf, as supplies go quickly. It’s best to be prepared for a storm in advance.
Tip #4: Remove or trim the trees around your home.
Besides breaking tree branches, high winds from storms and hurricanes can cause entire trees to uproot. When one or more trees get uprooted, they can seriously damage a piece of property. To avoid property damage due to fallen and uprooted trees, make sure that you remove all high-risk trees, such as the trees that are too old, damaged, or can otherwise pose a threat to your home before the hurricane season begins. Another thing you can do to reduce the chances of damage to your home during a storm is to prune healthy trees in order to remove any dead or weak branches or branches that are too close to your house.
Tip #5: Elevate your home.
In addition to high winds, heavy rainfall and inland flooding are two other major hazards associated with hurricanes. While ensuring proper drainage around your property can help you prevent soggy soil, foundation damage, and other problems that heavy rainfall may cause, elevating your home above the BFE is the most effective way to protect it from floods.
Although the hurricane season is just a couple of weeks away, it’s not too late to elevate your home. Depending on the weather as well as the permits, site preparations, type of foundation, amount of elevation, and repairs required, the process of lifting a house can take anywhere from 4 weeks or more. Considering that the hurricane activity spikes from mid-August through mid-October, having your home elevated before the first storm strikes is definitely possible.
What’s more, a hurricane can be tracked and its trajectory predicted 3 to 5 days in advance. Since we regularly check both short- and long-range forecasts for the area, even a 3-day window will give us enough time to take all the measures necessary to prepare the site and prevent damage to your home.
Therefore, the only thing that you need when elevating your home isn’t necessarily good weather but an experienced crew, like the one we have at Allied Foundation. Our professionals have the expertise, skills, and equipment required to complete any home elevation safely and successfully, regardless of the weather. To learn more about our home elevation process or to require a free estimate, feel free to get in touch with us today!
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