Storm damage can be a nightmare to deal with. It’s best to know what the risks are and how to be prepared.
Flood Damage
Storms often result in flooding. Certain areas are more prone to flooding than others, but everywhere can be affected by persistent heavy rain. During a flood, the most vulnerable part of the house is the basement. You should secure the area around the house so that there are no gaps for water to get in.
You also need to think about your windows. People with basements often have windows low to the ground to let light into the basement. This can become a big problem if you fail to keep the windows secure. You need to have the latest double-glazed windows and keep them shut during a storm.
Roof Damage
If anything heavy is knocked over during the storm, your roof will take the brunt of the damage if it lands on your home. This is a big problem, but there are some things you can do to stop it from happening. Firstly, you should make sure your roof is in good condition and is as strong as it can be.
Then you should look at what is surrounding the home. If you live somewhere that has lots of storms with high winds, those trees could be pulled up and crash down on your roof. You should think about cutting down the trees closest to your home to avoid this. Follow the link for more info on how to repair your roof after it’s taken storm damage.
Broken Windows
The wind is what poses the biggest threat to the exterior of your home. As I mentioned above, falling trees can damage the roof, but windows are just as vulnerable. If the wind is particularly strong, it can smash windows by itself. But there’s also the threat of the wind carrying debris that could smash the windows too.
You should prepare your windows for storms a long time in advance. If you live somewhere where there are lots of storms, you should prepare your windows with strong shutters that you can close when a storm is coming. Or, when you see that a storm has been forecast, you could buy some plywood and bolt it to the frames of your windows.
Electrical Fires
When electricity mixes with water, the results are never good. It can even cause fires to break out in your home. You should turn the electricity off as quickly as you can when a large storm hits. It’s also a good idea to keep your electrical outlets a foot above the ground so that flood damage doesn’t also lead to a fire.
When winds are strong, it can also cause the fire to spread much quicker, making it impossible to stop. This is incredibly dangerous, so if a fire does break out, your first response should be to get everyone out of the house quickly. You should do this even if the fire only seems small to begin with.
Storm damage can be disastrous, so use the advice I gave to keep your home as safe as possible during a storm.