How to Prepare for the Unexpected: Snowstorms, Hurricanes and Much More
Do you think there is nothing homeowners can do to prevent inclement weather and unexpected storms from causing damage to their property? Think again.
While it’s true that certain natural occurrences — like severe thunderstorms, snowstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other phenomena — will cause damage to properties within their path of destruction, there’s plenty homeowners can do to limit the damage. And if you live in a place where hurricanes or snowstorms frequent, you’ll want to do everything you can to prepare for these storms before they happen.
Don’t simply wait for the destruction to hit and be proactive. Some damage is inevitable, while some is very avoidable! Here’s what you should do to limit the damage certain disasters may befall your home and keep reading to see what you should do once the damage has already been done.
How to prepare for a snowstorm
For anyone who lives in the north, snowstorms are a normal occurrence during the winter months. However, even if snowstorms don’t frequent your area often, you should still be prepared. Dropping temperatures can cause as much damage as heavy snowfall, so you’d be smart to prepare even if you’re not expecting a year of heavy snowfall.
One of your biggest concerns when it comes to snowstorms should be your roof. A heavy build-up of snow can sometimes lead to roofs collapsing, so it’s very important to know when to strengthen or replace your roof. Some roofing material can last over 70 years while some may start deteriorating after just 15.
Be sure to watch for signs of damage and ask the experts if you’re unsure if your roof needs some restoration before winter begins. As winter comes to an end, be aware that a sudden shift to warm temperature can cause snow on your roof to melt rapidly, possibly causing water damage.
Any water damage left to sit from a roof leak can lead to a need for mold remediation, causing you headaches down the road.
Removing any dangerous or dangling tree branches over your house is also a smart way to prepare for snowstorms. When stressed, branches can break and fall. When they do, they can damage your home and potentially cause a lot of damage to your roof.
According to HomeLight’s Q2 survey, only about 2% of real estate agents believe the most popular home improvement project in the market this summer is a roofing replacement. A project like this may not only increase the value of your home, but also protect your property from disasters to come. You’d be smart to consider upgrading or replacing your roof if yours is getting old.
Additionally, it’s very important to protect your pipes. Pipes can crack and burst when cold temperatures cause the water inside to freeze. Be sure to drain any water from your outdoor faucets and sprinklers when winter begins and locate your water shut-off valve — just in case.
If you do suffer a pipe burst, be sure to reach out for water damage restoration as soon as possible.
If water damage is left to sit for even a day, it can cause mold to grow. And at that point you may need mold removal services as well.
How to prepare for a hurricane
Anyone who lives close to an eastern shore may have already experienced a devastating hurricane. The best way to be ready? Think ahead.
Don’t wait until the winds are rushing to start prepping your home for hurricane season. If your home is within hurricane territory, you’ll be in the most danger between June through November. However, make sure your home is prepped long before June hits.
Especially when it comes to hurricanes — damage may be unavoidable. Hurricanes and other storm-related flooding cause approximately $34 billion in damage to U.S. properties. A little damage may be inevitable, but it’s certainly possible to limit the destruction. Taking proactive measures prior to hurricane season may save you thousands in property damage.
Just as those who live in northern states must remember to keep their roofs sturdy for snow season, those in hurricane territory must also know when it’s time to strengthen or replace a roof. Winds over 50 miles an hour can cause massive damage in the absence of a high-impact roof.
Be sure to keep all entry points reinforced as well. High-impact windows — much like high-impact roofs — are crucial to preventing damage. These will stop the hurricane or storm’s impact from damaging your interior, and they will limit the amount of costly reconstruction you will have to deal with after the storm.
Lastly, as a rule of thumb, safety comes first. You will want to keep a disaster supplies kit filled with some necessities on hand — just in case you lose power or get stuck at home. In addition, be sure to heed any evacuation orders for your area.
What to do once your home receives damage
So your home lived through its latest bout with Mother Nature, though, as often is the case, you received some damage. Perhaps heavy winds caused damage to your windows. Perhaps the heavy snow caused damage to your roof. Perhaps the cold caused your pipes to freeze.
The best thing you can do? Act quickly. No matter the amount of damage, immediate action will always give your home the best chance at survival.
Don’t wait weeks or months to contact a disaster restoration professional and don’t rely on temporary fixes. Do-It-Yourself tutorials might save you some money in the interim but cause huge problems down the road. What seems like a small problem now may turn into a big problem in the weeks to come — and the cost of fixing these issues may increase the longer you wait.
How professional reconstruction and restoration services can help
No matter the preparation — we can’t always prevent natural disasters from causing damage to our homes, and we can’t always predict when or where Mother Nature will strike next. Once you’ve made it out of the other end of an unexpected snowstorm, hurricane, or any other circumstance — there’s a chance your property will have been heavily damaged.
Whether the damage is overwhelming or miniscule, it’s important to remember that immediate action is crucial. Give your property the best chance to prosper and limit permanent impacts by utilizing the help of professional disaster restoration services. This will help you get your property back to its former functioning capabilities sooner rather than later, and you’ll have the peace of mind knowing your property is in the capable hand of professionals.
About Vince Sandri
Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.
