Hurricanes can cause damage that ranges from minor to catastrophic, but there are ways to protect your home. If you have a hurricane headed to your area, start preparing your house for it ahead of time. Use the following hurricane preparation tips to make sure your home is well-protected from these storms.
Clean Gutters & Downspouts
Making sure your gutters and downspouts are free of debris, such as leaves, helps minimize the risk of water damage to your roof and home interior. Clear away any debris that has built up inside gutters and downspouts, and fasten any components that are loose.
Protect Doors & Windows
The winds from hurricanes can damage or tear off doors and break windows. If your home has storm shutters, secure them in place before the storm arrives. Put plywood over doors to protect them from damage. Keep in mind that when winds get inside homes, they can result in a severe loss of pressure that can lead to structural collapses. Covering doors and windows helps prevent this from happening.
Secure or Put Away Yard Items
Loose items in your yard, such as patio furniture or garbage cans, can damage your home if they’re blown around during a hurricane. Put these items away in a garage or shed to keep them from getting picked up by high winds. Secure larger items that can’t be stored away in order to hold them in place.
Shut Off Utilities
Before leaving your home, turn off your home’s utilities to lower the risk of flooding, fires and gas leaks due to storm damage. Turn off your main water valve, shut off the circuit breaker and turn the gas off on appliances that use them. Your local gas company can shut off the main gas line.
About the Author
Judy Szablak
With over 30 years in the industry, Realtor Judy Szablak has been on national television for her real estate expertise on the HGTV Network, featured on Martha Stewart Living Radio "Morning Living” , NPR radio as an expert real estate panelist, It’s Relevant News channel, and quoted in the Wall Street Journal for her in depth knowledge of Fairfield County Connecticut real estate.
She was also on the local NPR radio station (WSHU) as a Fairfield County CT real estate expert. Judy has provided multiple online respected news sources with her real estate expertise including The Daily Easton, The Daily Weston, The Daily Fairfield, The Daily Stamford and The Daily Greenwich, as well as in print in the New York Post. She is a weekly Real Estate Columnist for WestportNow.com, another real estate column "Real Estate With Judy” is syndicated through Hearst CT Media Online and seen in The Connecticut Post, The Danbury News-Times, The Stamford Advocate, The Greenwich Time, The Hour, Fairfield Citizen, Westport News, Darien News, New Canaan News and the Wilton Villager.
Judy is also the author of the book, The Art of Buying or Selling a Home, available at all major book retailers. Additionally, Judy has been nationally recognized in a number of national real estate trade magazines, some with distribution to over 1 million members. She was featured in Real Estate Today as early as 1994 for her commitment to, and implementation of technology in real estate. Judy appeared in the Certified Residential Specialist Magazine, as she provided advice on marketing strategies and ethics in the article titled "Marketing Makeovers.”
Judy was also featured in REALTOR® Magazine, regarding image enhancement for Realtors. She was again featured in REALTOR® Magazine, in an article on "Achieving Flow” and operating at optimal peak performance. In another article in the same publication, Judy offered guidance to fellow real estate professionals as she explored the topic of implementing and maintaining personal websites. She has appeared in The Council of Residential Specialists Magazine, which featured her ideas regarding technology. Additionally, Judy authored an article on marketing and technology for the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Online Magazine. On two occasions, in 2015 and 2017, she appeared as a featured agent in Top Agent Magazine. I have a few other websites- www.TheCtrealtyBlog.com www.CtHomesAndRealEstate.com www.BestWestportHomes.com www.ThePetitePowerhouse.com www,SzablakConsulting.com
