Hurricane Season is Here! How to prepare? June 1 - Oct 31st
Hurricane season has arrived again for 2023 and for many this may be their first hurricane season. No need to panic, but it's the right time to prepare. I moved to FL from upstate NY, and when my first "real" hurricane was projected to come to Tampa, Irma in 2017, I was shocked to find no water at the grocery stores, supplies being wiped out by the masses as soon as news came of the weather forcast. What I learned that year, was to prepare ahead and really it's just good to always have on hand some of the following items. I pulled this list from the CDC:
- An emergency food and water supply.
- An emergency medicine supply.
- Emergency power sources such as flashlights (don't forget extra batteries).
- Safety and personal items.
- Important documents, including medical documents, wills, passports, and personal identification.
- A fire extinguisher.
Now, we always keep extra gallons of water at the house just incase, as well as stocked up on batteries, flash lights, first aid kit, fire extinguisher etc. If you ask a real Floridian, they'll also say to make sure you have alcohol for the hurricane party - lol. Jokes aside today though, you also want to keep your home prepared and protected. Here are my tips I've come up with for your home.
Be sure to prepare the following for your home:
1. Make sure you understand your hurricane insurance deductible.
2. Make sure you know how to put on your shutters if needed. If you don't have shutters or hurricane rated windows, get a quote to replace and update windows if needed.
3. Make sure your gutters, drain spouts, pool drainage is all clear and freely flowing. Often grass gets jammed into the drainage spouts over the year and needs to be cleaned out to avoid back up that may cause damage.
4. If your yard has a drainage issue, now is the time to look into adding french drains, don't wait for mid September for your yard to look like a lake.
5. Make sure your light furniture is easily/quickly stored, and/or replace it with heavier items. Wind can pick up in an afternoon storm here - flying objects have the potential to cause damage to your home.
Hope this helps!! Do you have any other great tips? We'd love to hear from you! I am not a native to Tampa, but have been in the area for 14years now. Upstate NY'ers know how to deal with major snow storms, not hurricanes - so please share all your advice. My number one tip I've learned is don't let the media scare you - I follow Mike's Weather Page and Dennis Phillips for my storm tracking, between the two of them they've been very reliable over the years. Here are Dennis Phillips rules:
If you are thinking about buying or selling in Tampa Bay, I would love the opportunity to sit down with you and discuss how we can help. As a top Tampa Realtor, we’ve helped hundreds of families through the buying/selling process and look forward to helping you too! We help minimize the stress with our systems and look forward to helping you find your dream home. If you are thinking about selling in Tampa Bay, please give me a call 813-758-3063. I am a local listing specialist. Also, if you are not local to Tampa but would like some advice, I'm happy to chat and can potentially help team you up with one of my RE/MAX trusted referral partners in your area.
Alison Connors - RE/MAX Action First 813-758-3063
Categories
Recent Posts
