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How To Prepare Your Home for Hurricane Season

Family preparing emergency reserves
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As the fatal lightning strike capital of the United States, Florida is no stranger to scary storms. This fact is most certainly true during hurricane season. On average, not including tropical storms, 1-2 hurricanes make landfall in Florida annually. From the start of June to the end of November, Florida homeowners aren’t safe from their potentially devastating effects. During these 6 months is best to practice proper safety precautions in the event that a hurricane hits our shores.

It’s common that after a couple of years of no dangerous hurricane activity that we grow complacent and ignore or forget some safety precautions that we used to take. To make sure that our amazing community is well taken care of this season, we would like to remind you of some ways you can make sure your home and family are safe from storms.

Stockpile on Essential Supplies

Although some hurricanes can pass by rather quickly or downgrade into tropical storms, some can become catastrophic. The right hurricane under the right circumstances can flood streets, destroy homes, and even shut down power to large areas for extended periods of time. In the event that you’re caught at home without power, or if you have to evacuate the area, it’s good to have your supplies stocked up and ready for any eventuality. Some items you may want to grab are:

  • Water

  • Non-perishable food

  • Flashlights

  • First aid kit

  • Extra batteries

  • Battery-powered or hand-crank radio

  • NOAA Weather Radio

For a more complete list of materials please see our other article: Be Prepared For Storm Season!

 

Invest in Whole-House Surge Protection

You may have seen us mention whole-house surge protection in the past. We highly recommend it because whole-house surge protection is one of the best ways to make sure your expensive appliances and electronic devices are safe in the event of a power surge. These days you won’t find a home that doesn’t rely on high-quality appliances for its day-to-day needs. Don’t let your essentials meet an untimely end due to a hurricane-caused lightning strike!

In addition, there are countless smaller power surges that make their way through your house weekly from your nearby electric company. A whole-house surge protector will keep your computers, washing machines, TVs, etc. and safe from harm.

Try Using A Standby Generator

Standby generators are an effective way of overcoming a blackout. Blackouts during hurricanes will make it impossible to run any important electrical appliances. With a standby generator, you can keep most of the important appliances like a fridge or AC, working. If a whole-house standby generator isn’t in your budget, a smaller portable generator is useful as well, although you won’t be able to power as many appliances.

 

Final Reminders

Finally, here are a few more things that would be good to remember:

  • Make sure your vehicle’s and generator’s gas tanks are filled if there is an approaching storm.

  • If you own an EV (electric vehicle) make sure it’s charged.

  • Make sure to charge all cell phones and other chargeable necessary devices.

  • Make a list of emergency contacts.

  • Test your home generator to make sure it’s working as it should.

  • Snap a few pictures of your property before the storm to have on hand for any repair or insurance purposes after the storm.

 

Last but not least remember that your friends at Tru-Line Electric are always ready and willing to assist you with any of your home’s electrical needs. We’re here for you and we would be more than happy to help with any pre-hurricane electrical home inspections or post-hurricane repairs should the need arise. Please carefully follow these directions and take care of yourselves!