Be prepared for a Hurricane or any storm

No one wants to think that a disaster, natural or otherwise, will strike at home. But with the wild weather patterns that have popped up this year, now seems like a smart time to make sure your home is ready, just in case. We may not be able to predict the weather, but we can prevent many home fires, stay calm and cool during emergencies, access necessities during power outages and minimize damage when a true disaster strikes. Commit to checking off the items on this list, and you can feel good knowing you are doing what you can to protect your home and family.

Some tips for getting your home in a position to ride out a hurricane storm.

1. Protect your windows and doors. Whether with impact-resistant glass or shutters, protecting doors and windows against high winds and flying debris is imperative. Hurricane-force winds can hurl objects that act like bullets.

Consider installing shutters or providing a system, such as a track, to easily install shutters in case of an approaching storm. Although the shutter wouldn't be a permanent fixture on the exterior of your home, the track or other fastening hardware would be. So make sure the hardware is integrated with any other exterior improvements you plan to make.

2. Keep your landscape free of debris. Prune trees and remove dead branches well before the hurricane shows up. Also remove any patio furniture and other loose items outside that can get blown around.

3. Design for uplift. Hurricane-force winds can pull buildings apart. Roof structures are particularly prone to being sent flying, a danger to everyone and everything around. So using the correct, and in many places code-mandated, construction fastening system is a must. From tie-downs to lateral anchors, from hold-downs to embedded connectors, the choice of fastener will vary by location and type of construction.

4. Mind the door. Garage doors are real weak spots for hurricane-force winds. If the door gives way, the winds can enter the house and cause the roof to be torn off. Prevent this by making sure the garage door is installed to withstand these forces or brace an existing door to prevent its giving way.

5. Let the water flow. While you should always keep your gutters and downspouts clean, it's particularly important to make sure nothing blocks flowing water during a storm. Let's face it, the water will want to go somewhere. If it's not down and away, it'll be in your roof and attic. Conduct a visual inspection of your gutters and downspouts to be sure nothing blocks the flow of water from your roof and away from your home.

6. Take a "belt and suspenders" approach. Try to keep your basement or crawl space dry with a more-than-basic drainage and sump pump system. Create redundancy in the system with two drain tile layers as well as battery backup, or better yet, have sump pumps backed with emergency power.

7. Keep the power on. While you and your home hopefully will weather the storm, the power grid likely won't. Having a standby generator to produce electrical power can't be beat. While you can install a whole-house system, you don't have to. If the generator is smaller and keeps only the essentials going, you'll be able to withstand the storm's after effects that much better.

Bear in mind that a running generator can be quite noisy. So local building and zoning codes will have an influence on where it can be placed. Make sure you follow these rules and place the generator in a location that won't drive you or your neighbors crazy when it's running.

8. Keep basic supplies on hand. Keep on hand at least a three-day supply of items such as candles, batteries, potable water, foods that don't require refrigeration etc. Put together an emergency kit as recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency well in advance of any storm.

9. Keep the lines open. While we all have cell phones, and landlines are going the way of the dodo, there's nothing like having that old-school phone available in a power outage. Being able to contact friends and family to let them know you're safe is well worth keeping one of these working "antiques" around.

10. Keep up to date. Stay in touch with the outside world with a battery-powered radio or television. Just make sure to have plenty of the correct size batteries on hand.

11. Keep your head above water. For new homes in some coastal areas, building codes require that the structure be raised. While garages and storage spaces can be placed at the ground floors of these homes, the construction should be such that the structure doesn't block a storm surge.

Here are the basics: • Clean gutters after the last leaves fall and again in the spring. • Have chimney swept once a year. • Test smoke alarm batteries monthly. • Replace smoke alarm batteries once a year.

Take steps to prevent home fires. Home fires are all too common, and most are preventable. Top 10 items to have at hand:• Two-week supply of water (1 gallon per person, per day)• Nonperishable food• Weather radio with built-in flashlight• Extra batteries• First aid kit• Multipurpose tool• Basic toiletries kit• Photocopies of personal documents (passports, birth certificates, home deed, etc.)• Cell phone with charger• Extra cash

Hurricane Kit

Make sure your hurricane kit includes:

• Flashlights & extra bulbs

• Battery-operated radio

• Battery-operated lanterns

• Batteries (in different sizes!)

• Matches

• First aid kit

• Duct tape

• Rain gear

• Clock (wind-up or battery-powered)

• Plastic garbage bags

• Fire extinguisher

• Scissors

• Can Opener

• Clean clothes

• Extra blankets

• Heavy gloves

FOOD AND WATER

Pack non-perishable food for each person for 3-7 days.

• Bottled water (1 gallon/person/day)

• Bottled juice

• Two coolers: One for drinks & one for food

• Canned foods

• Manual can opener

• Dry pet food

• House Checklist

Remove outdoor items

• Trim dead branches from trees

• Board up windows

• Fill gas tanks and extra containers

• Get extra cash

• Move furniture away from windows

• Store important documents in waterproof containers

• Extra supply of medicines

Medical Need

Medic-alert tags

• Insect-repellent sprays

• Feminine hygiene items

• Sunscreen

• Soap

• First aid kit

• Over-the-counter medication

• Children's medicine

• Bandages

• Adhesive tape

• Antiseptic solution

• Thermometer

• Tweezers

Prepare Your Pet

Your pet will need more than a bag of food in a storm.

• Water for your pet for 3-7 days

• Non-perishable food

• Crate/carrier/tank

• Leash (non-extendable)

• Collar and/or harness

• Favorite Toy

• Blanket or pillow

• Clean litter box

• Updated shots and medical records

• Microchip with up-to-date contant info

• Any medications

• Calming aids

• Tags

• Puppy training pads

• Heartworm preventatives

• Rain gear

• Prescription medication