Hurricane Mitigation: Protect Your Home!

HERE WE GO AGAIN! Are you ready? The East Coast’s hurricane season runs from June 1st - November 30th. The forecast right now is for 13 named storms with 9 possible hurricanes, including 3 major hurricanes in 2023.

Use your Jack app to prepare now for this year’s hurricane season.

Even if the forecast changes as the season progresses, what won't change is your need to prepare, which includes making sure your home is protected and your loved ones can be safe. It's important to understand that natural disasters, such as hurricanes and tropical storms, occur outside the expected timetable, with weather expectations throughout the U.S. in recent years changing wildly from past expectations, so Jack chooses not to delay needed maintenance and upkeep.

Hurricane Mitigation

Hurricane mitigation are the actions and steps taken before a hurricane comes to your area. It includes all we might do that minimizes or prevents damage from the high winds, storm surges, and heavy rain or flooding associated with hurricanes and tropical storms.

As Jack of All Homes app homeowners, we know our home is one of our largest investments! Therefore, protecting it from natural disasters are a top priority.

Hurricane-Proof Your Property Now, Before Storms Arrive

Here are a few steps you can take to protect your property from damage before this year’s hurricane season is in full effect:

Home Inspection: Is your home ready for a natural disaster? Consider having your home inspected to ensure your personal safety most importantly, as well as the safety of your home and things. To find a reliable and trustworthy home inspector, look in the Jack app marketplace for a locally listed home inspector. You can easily invite your own trusted inspector into your Jack app for free.

Hurricane Shutters and Impact-Resistant Windows: Having hurricane shutters or impact-resistant windows and sliding glass doors installed can help protect your home from flying debris during a storm. It's important to try to prevent wind and water intrusion! They not only damage the inside of your home but once the windows are blown out, the wind can actually blow the roof off from inside the house by building up pressure inside. Look in your Jack app for Hurricane Shutter contractors or you can use your own trusted contractor and invite them into your Jack app easily.

Reinforce Your Roof: If your home has an older roof, you can consider making strengthening measures, making sure it can withstand the typical heavy winds and rain. Hurricane straps or clips secure the roof beams to the walls of the home to help prevent the roof from being lifted off by strong winds. Older homes – those built before 2002 – were not required to use these types of metal fasteners. Additionally, there are types of shingles that reduce storm damage. Contact a wind mitigation inspector or your roofer.

Strengthen Your Garage Door: Garage doors are especially vulnerable to high winds and sudden changes in atmospheric pressure. Changing an older garage door for one designed specifically to withstand hurricane-force winds ensures your garage door remains secure, preventing unwanted entry, when you need security in a storm situation. Your Jack app has Garage Door installers in Marketplace or invite your own trusted Service Pro to join for free. It’s a win-win!

Clear your Property: Hurricane winds are dangerous because they are so strong that they throw anything loose outside around like toys, lawn chairs, garbage cans, wood, metal, rocks, coconuts, bicycles, barbeque grills. Storm winds hurl these loose items into your windows, creating the opening for wind and water to get into your home and possibly blow off your roof like discussed above. Before a storm comes, move loose items to indoors, a shed, garage or into your front entryway if needed. It’s safer inside than flying around outside in a storm.

Working through the storm checklist above helps you protect your home from damage from severe weather, which saves you time and money from costly repairs. You may be able to get insurance discounts from any of these that you have invested in doing, so check with your home or renters insurance company to find out if there are cost savings you can benefit from.