Although Florida tends to bear the brunt of many powerful storms, the threat of a hurricane’s impact on Houston is not to be taken lightly. As Houstonians, our proximity to the Gulf Coast puts our families and our homes in danger of the hazards that hurricanes bring with them. High winds, heavy rains, and extreme flooding can damage a home severely if precautions are not taken.
Preparation For Houston Storms
Preparing your home can be as simple as bringing potted plants indoors or securing patio furniture and grills; however, roofs are the most sensitive to high winds. Metal hurricane connectors should be tied to exterior walls in order to protect against the “uplift” effect. These connectors can be found in home improvement stores.
Installing storm shutters over windows is an easy and effective way to protect your family from shattered glass. Don’t forget to cover skylights and sliding glass doors too.
Another safety hazard to consider is the garage door. Garage doors can wobble and get thrown from their tracks. In severe cases, the entire door can collapse. Retrofit kits can help to secure the door and may be found in your local hardware store.
Evacuation is Always Suggested
Residents of Houston continue to learn from each hurricane that bears down on our strong city as well as its outlying communities. After Hurricane Harvey in 2017, flooding was a major issue. The Allied Foundation team took care of their homes and most of us evacuated. Once the water receded we began to gut our homes by helping one another out. It was only a week after Harvey had come and gone that we opened our doors and began servicing our community.
Foundations Are Heavily Affected After a Storm – Especially Hurricanes
Many homes were flooded and naturally, the foundations were gravely affected. The soil beneath most of the Houston homes was softened to such an extreme that the entire foundations had to be lifted. These were by no means easy jobs, but we were up for it. No matter what mother nature decides to send our way, we will be there to get Houston’s homes back to being safe and secure.
What You Can Do To Try And Protect Your Foundation Before a Storm Hits
It’s not uncommon to see residents of the Gulf Coast hit the stores gathering supplies before a hurricane or tropical storm makes landfall. We all know the typical staples that are needed:
- Bottled water
- Canned goods
- Batteries
- Flashlights – Candles should not be used as they can pose a fire risk
- Refilled medications
- Baby items such as formula, diapers, jar food
- Baby wipes for both baby and adults – you never know how long the water might be off
These are typical items you need if you decide to stay and weather the storm. Other Houston residents decide to go one step further and get a generator. No one wants their ice cream to go to waste.
An often, but much-needed staple, is usually forgotten…sandbags. It’s no secret that Houston barely sits above sea level, so the chances of your home getting flooded are pretty high. To try and help protect the home and possibly your foundation, sandbags, and possibly keep things intact.
Hurricane season won’t be over until November 30th, so make sure your home is secure and reinforced with the necessary add-ons to keep you and yours safe. And as always, a secure home always starts with a steady foundation. Be sure to have yours inspected and keep an eye out for any signs of problems.
**This blog has been updated from its original post in 2012
