Hurrricane Season’s Upon Us: Securing Your Home from Unwanted Visitors After the Storm

Hurricane season extends from June 1 to the end of November. While larger storms tend to happen later in the season, damaging weather may strike anywhere in that time frame.

Homeowners in south Florida need to stay prepared a full six months out of the year and adopt a strategy to minimize the effects of a major weather event. That means taking action now, before necessity turns into urgency.

Here are some steps to consider taking before the first storm of the hurricane season appears on the radar.

• Secure windows and doors. You can hastily board them up as a storm looms — if you can find available plywood that late in the game — or you can take calm, preventive action beforehand, like installing storm shutters and securing doors with storm-proof locking mechanisms.
• Hold down the roof. Hurricane straps help secure the roof to the rest of the structure and resist wind forces. Make sure all shingles and tiles are fastened down securely and seal any penetration points where electrical conduits enter the house.
• Trim trees and other vegetation. Overhanging limbs and encroaching shrubbery can become destructive flying objects in hurricane-force winds. Falling trees can damage your home or a neighbor’s. Make sure limbs are cut back from the house and remove any trees that are questionable in the event of high winds.
• Update your insurance. Make sure your homeowner’s insurance will cover any increased value of your home. Because severe storms mean flooding as well as wind, consider purchasing government-sponsored flood insurance for added protection.
• In the aftermath. Among the delayed consequences of a hurricane is an upsurge in pests, including insects and rodents. Standing water after flooding breeds a variety of insects, including disease-carrying mosquitoes, and flushes fire ants out of the ground. Displaced rats and mice multiply and may flourish amidst storm refuse. Ask a pest control professional for advance advice on preventing infestations and for remedial treatments after a storm strikes.

Since 1975, Haggerty Services has seen south Florida homeowners through every hurricane season. Contact us for more advice about successfully weathering the storms of 2013.

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