There are some big threats to your home out there, on the horizon, and who knows when and where they’re going to strike. Storms, floods, earthquakes, even just a simple pest infestation in your walls, etc., can all be extremely detrimental to the health and structural integrity of your household.
So, in the interest of ensuring you know how to protect both yourself and your home when a disaster may strike, here are some of the biggest threats you’re going to need to think about preparing for. Because there’s plenty of resources out there for you to make good use of!
Guarding Against Water Damage
Both storm and flooding damage come under this title, as they both turn out as water damage 9 out of 10 times. Too much rain can burst banks in the land around you, leading to flooding, and too much rain from a storm can lead to hail, which means broken drains and pipes. Not only that, but your roof will be much worse for wear!
You’re going to need to keep an eye on your roof, and replace any shingles that break or fall off after a storm. In fact, if anything is loose on the exterior of your home, be sure to take some time to secure it, either after a storm has occurred, or before one is predicted. And always take the time to clear out your drains – you need the water to run off more than ever before.
Planning for Power Outages
Power outages can be the most detrimental thing to affect your home in times of disaster. If there’s a flood that knocks out the grid, or maybe it’s been a bit too windy and your power has gone down, how are your appliances going to fare? They could break via surging, leave people open to electric shocks, and your food, drink, and even medical supplies can go bad overnight without the necessary refrigeration they require.
You need to find a way around this, especially in times of stormy weather or flooding nearby. So, once again, this goes back to the potential for water damage – if your home has a basement, especially, you’re going to need something like emergency backup generators to keep your home safe. You need the sump pump down there to keep on chugging away, and you can’t do that when there’s a power outage!
Similarly, a backup generator will kick in whenever it feels an outage, which will keep the lights on in your home, and the fridge/freezer in your kitchen keeping your items as cool as they need to be. When you’re not sure when you’ll next be able to get to a shop or a doctor, this is absolutely essential.
Protecting your home against the biggest of threats demands a little bit of prep, and a very watchful eye. Make sure you keep the above points in mind if the weather is raging near you, or will be very soon.