Anyone who’s lived in Houston long enough (like I have) has a hurricane story. And those stories tend to have a common lesson: the families who come through a storm best aren’t the lucky ones – they’re the ones who get ready in advance, instead of scrambling around when a storm is already approaching.
So I pulled together some great advice, and trimmed it down to what actually matters. Bookmark this page, work through it one easy weekend, and spend this hurricane season living your best life, instead of watching the radar.
Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, with the busiest stretch typically being late August through October. This section contains the easiest, cheapest, and most common sense steps to take before a storm has a name.
Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, with the busiest stretch typically being late August through October. This section contains the easiest, cheapest, and most common sense steps to take before a storm has a name.
Aim for at least three days of supplies for every person in the house:
Check the kit every June. Batteries drain and granola bars expire.
Put IDs, insurance policies, medical information, and property records in one waterproof, grab-and-go folder. Then photograph or scan everything and store copies in the cloud. Ten minutes of scanning can save you weeks of replacing.
Take a slow video of every room. Open the closets, the drawers, the garage. This is your home inventory, and if you ever need to file a claim, it will turn a months-long memory test into a checklist. Save it somewhere other than your house.
Trim weak branches and any limbs hanging near the roof. Clear gutters and downspouts so heavy rain drains away from your foundation. Know which patio items come inside when a storm approaches; in hurricane winds, a lawn chair is a projectile. If you don’t have storm shutters, keep pre-cut plywood for your windows on hand, and consider reinforcing your garage door. It’s one of the most common failure points in high wind.
This is the step people skip, and it’s the one that decides how recovery goes. Three things to confirm before any storm is in the forecast:
Not sure where you stand on any of these? Give us a call. It can’t hurt to check, and it’s a much better conversation to have now than the day after a storm has hit.
First, know what the alerts mean. A hurricane WATCH means hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours: finish your preparations. A hurricane WARNING means the storm is expected within 36 hours: complete your preparations and be ready to leave immediately if officials tell you to.
Stay inside, in an interior room away from windows, on the lowest floor that isn’t at risk of flooding. Keep your radio or phone close for official updates, and keep pets leashed or in a carrier with you.
If the weather suddenly turns calm, that may be the eye of the storm passing over. The back half arrives fast, with winds from the opposite direction. Stay put until officials give the all-clear.
Check your insurance coverage. It’s easy – just reach out to my office, and we’ll review your current policies, and walk through them with you. We’ll see what’s covered, what’s not, how much your deductibles are, and whether you may have any gaps in your coverage – or be paying for anything you don’t actually need.
Spend an easy fifteen minutes on the phone now, and you can head into hurricane season knowing you’ve taken care of your home and family – and that’s what it’s all about!
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