9 Hurricane Tips to Protect You and Your Home
Planning for hurricane season can be a stressful and daunting task. It’s hard to know how in-depth each hurricane will affect your area until it happens. As we all know, hurricanes are known to cause widespread destruction to anything in their path. It’s important to understand the severity of the storm and how it can affect you and your home. Tonsmeire Properties and its communities have experienced hurricanes in all capacities. Whether a devastating hurricane or a large thunderstorm, we’re committed to helping keep you safe.
We’ve compiled a list of hurricane tips to protect you and your home to add to your preparation list.
Take a look inside of, and around, your apartment or house to ensure it’s safe to shelter-in-place.
Make sure there is no loose debris lying around your apartment outside. These items can easily turn into dangerous, flying debris that can damage your apartment or house.
Bring outdoor patio furniture, potted plants, toys and other items inside from balconies and patios.
Not only can a hurricane destroy your personal property; it can use that very same destroyed material to damage your home or even cause injury to those inside the home. Avoid damage to your personal items by taking the time to find space inside your home to store outdoor furniture during a hurricane.
Identify the safest room in your home.
This can be an area that does not have windows. A closet, interior bedroom, bathroom or hallway usually provides great protection during a hurricane. Hurricanes can produce dangerous, windy conditions that can leave homes demolished. That’s why it’s important to establish a safe room to aid in hurricane preparations.
Establish an emergency fund.
Having an emergency fund on hand can sometimes be the difference between surviving or thriving through a storm. Hurricanes can bring unexpected events that can leave you in a difficult situation. The last thing you want to worry about during or after a hurricane is if you’re able to purchase the things you need. Have cash ready to go for any future event to happen.
Contact your community’s office
Living in an apartment, your community’s office has a preparedness plan in place for natural disasters like hurricanes. Reach out to them before hurricane season or before a hurricane hits to figure out information or what to do if something happens.
Photograph your items.
Last-minute evacuations are not uncommon when a hurricane is approaching your area. In the event of a hurricane following an evacuation, be sure to scan policy documents, legal
documents, licenses or any other important information you may need and store the files online. Your scanned documents and photographs will help you stay organized during such a chaotic time.
Have emergency supplies.
Having emergency supplies on hand is a key task to complete before a hurricane arrives. Be sure to purchase items like non-perishable foods, water, medical supplies, toiletries, flashlights, batteries and more to ensure you have everything you need. If roads are blocked, your vehicle is damaged or you become injured, it’s critical to have these supplies ready to go in the case of an emergency.
Establish pet preparations.
If you have a beloved pet, make sure you have an emergency kit for them, too! Be sure to purchase non-perishable foods, water, medical supplies, any medications they need, ID tags, pet carriers, comfort items and more to ensure your pet is taken care of through the storm. An extra step to take during preparations is to locate local hotels or shelters that can accommodate you and your pet.
Get to know your neighbors.
It’s important to know who may need or can lend a helping hand in an emergency. There are many preparations that neighbors can take together as a community to effectively prepare and plan for a hurricane, such as cleaning outside debris, exchanging contact information and more.
Tonsmeire Properties has been building and renting apartments and rental homes in the area for over 50 years. Our professional team of leasing agents are ready to help our residents prepare for any storm during any season, especially hurricane season.