Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 9-15, 2021 and the National Weather Service is reminding us to be ready for hurricane season. Now is a good time to determine your personal hurricane risk, find out if you live in a hurricane evacuation zone, and review/update insurance policies. You can also make a list of items to replenish hurricane emergency supplies and start thinking about how you will prepare your home for the coming hurricane season. If you live in hurricane-prone areas, you are encouraged to complete these simple preparations before hurricane season begins on June 1. Keep in mind, you may need to adjust any preparedness actions based on the latest health and safety guidelines from the CDC and your local officials.
The risks for storm damage to your coastal home are at their peak from June 1 to November 30. Here are a few tips to help protect your home if a storm is headed your way.
Trim your trees. Broken limbs and branches can break windows during a storm – and not just your own windows, but possibly a neighbor’s as well, and your insurance could be the policy to take the hit for your neighbor’s damage. Make absolutely sure you remove any dead portions of your trees, as those are the first to go when it blows.
The best way to secure your windows is with storm shutters. Don’t have those? Boarding the windows up is the next best option. And don’t just handle the surf side windows – hurricanes come from all directions. Strips of tape do not add any protection and give a false sense of security. Check the locking mechanisms for your windows so they don’t fly open.
Now is a good time to consider adding hurricane window film, also called shatter-resistant film. An even better option is laminated impact-resistant glass which is designed to withstand hurricane debris. This keeps the wind and rain out of your home as well as helps prevent wind from creating lift forces that can push out the structure. Windows, doors, skylights, and façades need to be able to survive the storm without having the external surfaces of the building breached. Windborne often wildly flies about, impacting the buildings.
The use of hurricane-rated laminated glass can resist the penetration of common debris thus protecting the building from the threats of excessive internal pressurization. The ability for hurricane glazing to stay in place during the cyclical loads caused by a hurricane also serves to protect occupants, possessions, and building interiors from storm damage. Some insurance companies offer reduced rates on your home owner’s policy if you have hurricane-resistant windows.
We have a dedicated team with the knowledge and expertise to help get you what you need at 800-365-9922 or [email protected]