Prepping Your Home for Hurricane Season
Living near the coast comes with plenty of perks. The Jacksonville Beach is gorgeous, there are plenty of exciting things to see and do, and the weather is beautiful. Usually. Hurricane season Jacksonville is finally here and it’s absolutely essential that you prepare yourself and your home for the dangers that come with it. You should also be absolutely certain you know what to do when a hurricane makes landfall. Taking the right home security in Jacksonville Beach steps now can do more than just save your home.
Home Security Plans Before a Hurricane in Jacksonville Beach FL
The best way to handle a hurricane in Jacksonville Beach or is to have a home security plan months before it arrives, dont worry its not to late contact a home security consultant in the Jacksonville area today. The following should be mandatory elements in your home security plan.
- If evacuation is necessary, you should know where you need to go and what routes you can take beforehand, and know where the nearest emergency shelters are located.
- Create a portable disaster supply kit. It should enough clean food and water to last for three days, a medical kit, flashlight, extra batteries, and a radio. Other important items are listed here.
- If you aren’t evacuating, you should ensure you have enough supplies and necessities to last you several days without power or running water.
- Register for your local Emergency Notification System. AlertJax is a free service available to the people of Duval County that can make you aware of disasters before they hit and provide necessary updates.
- Ensure your family understands how your emergency plan works and practice it. This can keep everyone calm, collected, and focused during a hurricane.
Protect Your Home in Jacksonville Beach, FL
A hurricane will subject your home to severe winds, debris, and water damage. Taking preventive measures before a storm hits can drastically lower the damages and subsequent repair costs of fixing up your home.
- Trees and tree branches are a massive threat to your roof during a powerful storm. Remove damaged limbs and trees from your yard, and have healthy trees trimmed.
- Secure and reinforce windows, doors, garage doors, and your roof.
- Repair any damaged or loose gutters or downspouts and clear out any debris or clogs.
- Any light object in your yard that can be safely brought in doors should be. Patio furniture, lawn ornaments, and grills can be caught by powerful wind and get carried away or even hurled into your home. Don’t bring in anything combustible like propane tanks. Instead, anchor them down outside.
The weather itself isn’t the only threat to your home during a hurricane. Opportunistic criminals are likely to leap at the chance to burglarize while local authorities have their hands tied. A mandatory evacuation conveys a clear message to a criminal, ‘nobody is home’. Outfitting your home with a custom designed alarm system and monitored security cameras is the best way to protect yourself from this threat.
Riding out the Storm
If don’t evacuate, you need to know how to safely ride out the storm.
- Stay indoors. Once the hurricane makes landfall at your location, stay where you are. Most roads will likely be blocked or flooded, making any attempts futile, and you’ll be placing yourself in immediate danger.
- Keep a flashlight and battery-operated radio on hand.
- Charge all necessary electronics before the storm hits. If power is lost, it may be days before it comes back on.
- Fill your bathtub up with water BEFORE the hurricane hits. If you run out of bottled water, this can be used as a substitute, as you shouldn’t drink from the tap.
- Place refrigerators and freezers at their coldest possible settings and keep them sealed shut. If you lose power for an extended period of time, this will keep their contents fresh for as long as possible.
- Shut off your electricity, gas, and unplug all electronic devices.
After the storm ends, journeying outdoors can be dangerous. Only do so if it is absolutely necessary. Don’t drive through floodwater, watch out for downed powerlines, and if the flooding is bad, wear a life jacket.
Don’t wait until it’s to late. Start taking the right steps to keep your home safe!