Dealing with a natural disaster is never easy, but taking proper precautionary measures before it strikes can minimize or even prevent the resulting damage. Hurricane water damage is a prime example of a natural disaster that can be mitigated with proper planning and preparation.

Hurricanes can create catastrophes not only for the lives of the people but also for their properties. But being prepared can help keep your property and you or your family safe from the impact of this windstorm.

Let us walk you through the things that you can do to prepare your home for water damage before, during, and after a hurricane.

Protect Your Home From Hurricane Water Damage: Before

The best time to protect your home from hurricane water damage is before the threat occurs. Don’t wait for the hurricane warning to be issued. If you do, it may be too late to take any precautionary measures.

Retrofit Your Home

Seal windows and doors. Doors and windows can be the easiest entry points of water during a hurricane. Seal them to ensure that water won’t intrude on your home. Hurricanes can make high winds that can shatter and eventually break windows. Install a window shutter or alternately, use plywood for reinforcement to protect your property more. 

Check or repair the roof. A roof is another potential entry point of water. Check for any damage on your roof. Repair any holes and replace missing shingles.

Seal the outside wall openings in your home such as garden hose bibs, outdoor electrical outlets, holes where cables and pipes pass through, and vents. Apply some caulk to prevent water from seeping through these holes.

Clean or repair gutters and drainage. Broken or malfunctioned gutters and drainage can potentially cause water to intrude into your home. Make sure that they are functioning well and that water will travel away from your home. 

Add more plants and trees to your garden. Plants and trees can seep the water and can minimize water damage to your property. 

Remove debris and huge branches around your yard to prevent danger from the flight of these items due to strong winds.

Create An Evacuation Plan

Make sure to have an evacuation plan that is competent enough before any natural disaster occurs. You should watch the local news and coordinate with your local government to be more aware of the upcoming natural disaster. If the local news gave a signal for a forthcoming hurricane, you must head to the nearest supermarket immediately to fill your pantry with necessary things such as water, food, and toiletries. 

Review Your Insurance Policies

Your insurance policy will serve as your financial protection, in any case, a hurricane can cause water damage to your property. Additionally, your homeowner’s insurance might cover your additional living expenses (like expenses of getting to work or school) if you have to be relocated due to hurricane damage. Keep them in a safe storage box.

Protect Your Home From Hurricane Water Damage: During

The high winds during a hurricane can wreak havoc on the exterior of your home causing breakage to your windows, doors, and other openings. Eventually, this damage can cause more serious harm to the structure of your home when water starts intruding on your property. 

a. Safeguard possible entry points

Have you heard the warning of the imminent hurricane, lock your home tightly. Your home must be composed of several openings (doors, windows, garage doors, vents, etc.). Make sure that these openings are shut and sealed to prevent rainwater from penetrating the inside of your home. 

b. Keep your belongings on higher ground

Move your personal belongings on the floor, from your basement or ground floor to a higher place to minimize water damage. You must place your appliances on a concrete block to prevent water damage. Appliances become unsalvageable when they get soaked in water.

You must also store your food and other supplies in a safe place. Flood water belongs to the dirty water category of water damage that contains contaminants and other harmful pathogens and can cause your supplies to become unsafe to use. 

c. Unplug the electricity

The increase in advanced technology has made us dependent on electricity. However, in the middle of the hurricane, plugging your gadgets might be unsafe, because of the faulty wires that can cause electrocution. Your gadgets should be fully charged before a hurricane finally had its landfall.

Moreover, you must be equipped with battery-operated radio so you can still get information about the current situation from the local news. 

Protect Your Home From Hurricane Water Damage: After

Once it is already announced that the hurricane has left your region, it is time to check your property. However, your safety should be your top priority. Hurricanes could have caused several damages to the exterior of your home. If water has penetrated inside your home, it might have caused structural damage.

Moreover, floodwater contains pathogens that can be harmful to you. You must wear protective gear and coordinate with local officials to make sure that your home is free from any danger. Then;

• Check for any potential water damage in your home. Inspect the outdoors and indoors (every nook and cranny of your home), the fallen power lines, and debris. 
• Remove any standing water.
• Remove any furniture from the affected area and discard any unsalvageable items.
• Wash and sanitize the area thoroughly.
• Completely dry the affected area.

Seek the Help of a Professional for Hurricane Water Damage

After reading this article, you should know by now how to protect your home from hurricane water damage. However, we cannot fully protect our home from water infiltration due to flooding which can cause severe water damage to our property.

Water damage to your property can be very devastating, plus the mold that can grow soon if it is not treated immediately and the floodwater that contains contaminants. Treating your water-damaged home due to flooding can be dangerous and stressful. You must leave it to the hands of professionals who are experienced and knowledgeable in water damage remediation.

Let us help you deal with this problem. We, at Superior Restoration, offer the best water damage remediation and restoration services in the entire area of Corona. We will provide you with complete and quality services to make sure that your home will be back in its pre-state condition and to ensure that you will be back to your normal life in the fastest way possible. Call our local office today.