The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) published an article on hurricane myths since many coastal and hurricane prone area residents base their information on erroneous facts. For starters, 84% of Americans base their evacuation decisions on the category of the hurricane when in fact most evacuations are not based on wind speed…… they are mostly based on flood and storm surge risk.
Does taping the window ‘do the trick’ for protecting your home exterior? Save your money. Permanent wind shutters are the best protection against flying debris and wind. 54% of Americans believe taping the windows protects against from hurricane damage.
Hurricane damage can be prevented by strengthening your home. 69% of Americans believe that it costs more than $10,000 to strengthen their homes when in fact, if done effectively, can only cost around $1000. How can it be done cost effective? But simply reinforcing windows and roofs, waterproofing basements and elevating
critical utilities. FLASH has an excellent website that includes how to strengthen your home and prepare it for a hurricane. For instance, do you board up your windows with plywood before a hurricane? Flash explains exactly how to apply temporary plywood shutters as protection. Have concerns about protecting against mold? Flash has an excellent checklist on where to look for mold. The checklist includes all areas of a home including the water heater, air conditioning unit, washing machine hoses, shower curtain, blinds, and more. Check out their YouTube series on Strong homes. Another excellent informative website is from Division of Emergency Management, Bureau of Mitigation. Check out the hurricane retrofit guide. It covers all areas of a home from roofs, windows, walls and porches and helps you decide (and prioritize) how to protect your home against the winds and rains of hurricanes. The guide is for homeowners and how you can take protective measure such as retrofitting on your own without the costs of a contractor. No need to spend anymore than you have to especially when hurricane protection for your home can be done without much cost and effort.
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