Click to call
Storm Season Preparation
Weather is getting more extreme. Drought and fires in the west, tornadoes are happening earlier in the spring in the south and middle section of the country, and bomb cyclones are causing below average winter temperatures on the countries northern tier. Regardless of the cause, homeowners must be prepared for the local weather risks.
Florida is a peninsula jutting out between warm Gulf and Atlantic waters. Hurricanes are our nemesis. Because we are surrounded by water and have a lot of moisture in the air, we also have a lot of thunderstorms. South Georgia and Florida lead the nation in lighting strikes per square mile. We need to prepare ourselves and our homes for high wind, lighting, torrential rains, and for rising water.
It is difficult to raise a home once built. Your best course of action is to have an exit plan you can quickly implement if you are in a flood zone and warnings are issued. Have everything you will need to take on short notice on a list. Have all important papers in a single place so you can grab the and go.
While the official start of the hurricane season begins June 1st, now is the time to be thinking about your needs. Hurricane shutters, dead tree removal, anchoring down sheds and pergolas, and other ‘projects’ around the home have financial implications that may need to be spaced out over time. It is also difficult to get all this done on short notice when we are in the projected path of a storm and others need similar things at their homes.
High winds lead to falling trees and limbs, which is where some of our greatest damage comes from. Power lines will come down, cars and homes will be damaged. The best way to try and prevent this damage is have a professional assess the health of your trees. Dead trees and limbs should be cut down, and the canopy can be thinned to better allow the wind to blow ‘through’ large trees. This reduces the chances of falling.
The same winds that topple trees can send items in your yard flying, so have a place to put things. Pool and patio furniture, grills and the like all need a place during a storm. If that place is a shed, it should be anchored so it does not topple over in high winds. Pergolas and other structures should be similarly anchored down.
There are no deals when a storm is approaching, now is the most cost-effective time to prepare for the storm season. By starting early, you get non-storm pricing, and can stretch your projects out.
While Mr. Handyman does not remove trees or anchor sheds, we can cut plywood to size for each of your windows and label them for ease of install when a storm is approaching. Storms often lead to leaks. Rain coming down sideways at 100+MPH can blow through gable vents and cause stained ceilings in the rooms below.
We also replace a lot of soffits that below down during storms, and repair fences that blow over in the wind. Every home has its own needs after a storm, and Mr. Handyman can help you recover quickly.
