Preparing Your Home for a Natural Disaster

by Kayla LaFroth

You saw what happened to Dorothy when the tornado hit Kansas. As fun as it might be to visit Oz, you probably don’t want to deal with the expensive property damage that can come when natural disasters hit. Here are some ways you can prepare your home for an emergency.

Prune Your Trees

Large, heavy branches can cause damage or injury if they snap off in a storm. By taking care of your trees and pruning those branches before a storm hits, you can save yourself both money and a headache.

Secure or Bring in Outdoor Furniture

If you have furniture in the backyard or patio, consider tying everything down or even bringing it inside. In addition to classic furniture, try not to leave your grill outside to fly around when the Wicked Witch of the West shows up.

Clean Up the Backyard

In addition to bulkier items, make sure there aren’t toys or other loose items lingering in the yard. Your kid’s toy dump truck may seem harmless now, but you might feel differently when it’s launching at your window at 300 miles per hour.

Reinforce Doors and Windows

Speaking of windows, you can also reinforce your windows and doors. You can install wind-resistant doors or install stormproof shutters in your windows. If that’s too fancy for you, you can always board up the windows and doors with good-old-fashioned plywood.

Put Out Sandbags

While sand compliments the ocean water quite nicely, you can also use sandbags to keep the ocean out of your home. By stacking sandbags, you can divert water away from your home to keep it from seeping in.

Hopefully no natural disasters befall you and so this article was a waste of your time, but if you do live in a storm-prone area, we hope that you can implement these tips to minimize your property damage.