June 1st was the official first day of the 2010 Atlantic Basin hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) held Hurricane Preparedness Week activities from May 23rd through May 29th, hoping to reduce the disastrous effects caused by hurricanes and tropical storms. NOAA is predicting an extremely active season this year.
If you participated in NOAA’s activities, then you may be more prepared than many of your neighbors. However, even if you didn’t get a head start, it’s still not too late to retrofit your home to withstand the hurricane season, which lasts from June 1 until November 30, 2010.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), an average of eleven tropical storms develops each year. Although most will never impact U.S. coastlines, six of the tropical storms are likely to become hurricanes. Approximately five hurricanes impact U.S. coastlines in a 3-year period, with two of them being major or intense hurricanes. However, a lower category storm, including tropical storms, can produce significant damage and loss of life too, depending what hazards accompany the storm.
A hurricane is considered major or intense once it reaches a category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Approximately 50 to 100 people are killed during the five hurricanes that hit the U.S. coastline during the average 3-year cycle. It used to be a much higher rate, but the better warning systems now help to reduce the fatalities. NOAA estimates that an average of $5+ billion of damage results from hurricanes annually.
Hurricanes can produce storm surge, flooding, high winds, and tornadoes. Therefore, homeowners who reside in hurricane prone areas must renovate their homes to the latest building and safety codes designed to withstand these dangers. Although damages cannot totally be avoided, the risks can be reduced by taking certain precautions. Here’s a list of home remodeling projects the Institute for Business and Home Safety recommend for June (starting with the least expensive):
1. Do a visual inspection of the entire property, or have a professional builder or engineer with specific knowledge of hurricane building codes, inspect your property for safety hazards, and conduct any needed maintenance.
2. Remove any gravel/rock landscaping material and replace it with shredded bark.
3. Trim all trees, roses, vines, and shrubbery and remove any weak branches and trees. If possible, create a channel through the foliage to the center of the tree to allow air flow.
4. Ensure screened porches and any similar areas are properly attached.
5. Ensure the double-entry doors are reinforced with heavy duty foot and head bolts, and a security dead bolt lock that has a 1” minimum bolt throw length.
6. Ensure the double garage doors and tracks are reinforced properly, or replace the double garage door with a hurricane wind load tested garage door.
7. Ensure the roof sheathing is adequately attached. If it’s not, then attach it, using adhesive to attach the sheathing to the rafters, and use extra 8d (8 penny) nails or #8 screws if you have to reroof the house.
8. Ensure the gable end walls and roof trusses are braced properly.
9. Ensure all large windows and patio doors can quickly and easily be securely fastened and covered with plywood storm shutters, or install tested manufactured hurricane shutters.
10. Ensure the roof rafters and trusses are connected to the side walls with hurricane clips/straps.
11. Ensure all exterior walls are properly connected to the foundation. You may need professional assistance with this task, if you have a masonry-type construction.
12. If necessary, reroof, using adequate underlayment and other hurricane tested roofing materials.
13. Install a security room.
Other steps you should take to prepare for a hurricane are to:
- Make a family emergency plan, including evacuation routes, and methods of contacting and accounting for each other, as well as who’s responsible for what, and rehearse it frequently. Be sure to include plans for evacuating any animals, rescuing family heirlooms, and retrieving any important documentation.
- Prepare an emergency kit, containing at least a 3-day supply (for each family member and pet) of bottled water, non-perishable food (preferably none that needs to be cooked), blankets, clothing, personal items, flashlights, extra batteries, a weather monitor or AM/FM battery operated radio, first aid materials, and tools you may need. Additionally, keep a supply of extra plywood, and any other materials you may need to secure your property, since many stores will quickly run out of supplies once the storm alert is given.
- Once you have been alerted to an approaching storm, gather all outdoor furniture, garbage cans, potential debris, and other loose items, and then place them inside. Also help your neighbors to do the same.
- Leave any low lying areas, and if asked to evacuate, do so as quickly as possible, without panicking.
