Follow these tips to make sure your house and property are prepared for a storm:
- Keep emergency repair items on hand. These include masking tape, lumber, plastic sheeting, sandbags, and sand.
- Cover windows and sliding glass doors with storm shutters or plywood panels. Use heavy-duty masking tape on small windows.
- Move valuables away from windows and, if possible, to an upper floor.
- Unplug appliances, electronic equipment, and TV connections.
- Move cars, boats, and trailers to garages or warehouses, or tie down boats and trailers next to house. Check tie-downs if you live in a mobile home.
- Brace garage doors, drain swimming pools halfway, move loose items indoors, and secure television antennas.
- Trim back any dead wood from trees. This will reduce the amount of wind stress on trees and eliminate potential damage from falling limbs.
- If you leave your home, lock and secure it. Take small valuables and your disaster kit with you. Make sure your address is visible from the street so emergency workers can easily find your house.
- Bring pets indoors or make other arrangements for their safety. If you have to go to a community shelter, understand that you might not be able to keep your pets with you. Contact your local humane society for information about animal shelters.
- If there’s a threat of wildfire, check with local authorities to find out what protection is available. If there’s not an adequate water supply nearby, consider a storage tank or other water source for emergency use.
