Secure Your Home

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Your home may be what stands between you and a disaster. There are easy things you can do now to make your home ready to withstand a strong storm, and they do not have to be expensive fixes.

Before a Storm Arrives

• Get your supplies ready.
• Get your plans set to secure your home and protect your family.
• Monitor the news for evacuation orders.
• Protect yourself by sheltering outside of the evacuation zone during the storm.

House

• Shut all doors.
• Lower antennas.
• Shutter windows/doors.
• Lower/remove awnings.
• Elevate belongings and place sandbags for flooding from rain.
• Before you leave, shut off power and/or breakers.

Garage

• Reinforce the doors with a brace kit or use long steel or aluminum bars.
• Place flood barriers against the bottom of the door(s) to seal the gap.
• Lock the door.

Yard

• Take all yard items inside. Clear balconies, steps and porches.
• Pick up/secure loose debris.
• Super-chlorinate your pool.
• Remove debris from your gutters and nearby storm drains if possible.

Vehicle

• Fill gas tank.
• Check oil and water.
• Place emergency supplies in the trunk.
• Move to a higher location if you expect flooding.
• If evacuating, know your route and monitor traffic reports.

Boat

• Store your boat on land and secure to trailer.
• Secure loose items.
• Disconnect electric, water, fuel, other dock connections.
• See more boating prep tips.

If you don’t have to evacuate

• Invite others who have to evacuate to stay with you.
• Prepare a safe room.