DISASTER PLANNING

HURRICANE HOME RETROFITTING

"Preventing the loss of life and minimizing the damage to property from hurricanes are responsibilities that are shared by all."

Throughout this website, information has been provided regarding actions that you can take based on specific hurricane hazards. The most important thing that you can do is to be informed and prepared. Disaster prevention includes both being prepared as well as reducing damages (mitigation).

Should I Evacuate?

Disaster prevention includes modifying your home to strengthen it against storms so that you can be as safe as possible. It also includes having the supplies on hand to weather the storm. The suggestions provided here are only guides. You should use common sense in your disaster prevention. There are things that you can do to make your home more secure and able to withstand stronger storms.

RETROFITTING YOUR HOME

The most important precaution you can take to reduce damage to your home and property is to protect the areas where wind can enter. According to recent wind technology research, it's important to strengthen the exterior of your house so wind and debris do not tear large openings in it.  You can do this by protecting and reinforcing these critical areas:

One of the best ways to protect a home from damage in wind storms is to install impact-resistant shutters over all large windows and glass doors. Not only do they protect doors and windows from wind-borne objects, but they can reduce damage caused by sudden pressure changes when a window or door is broken. Laminated window systems (plastic bonded to glass) are another option, and are a particularly good choice for either building a new home or adding to an old one.

Your home has either double or single entry doors. If they are solid wood or hollow metal they probably can resist wind pressures and hurricane debris. However, if you are not sure whether they are strong enough, take these precautions:

• Install head and foot bolts on the inactive door of double-entry doors.
• Make sure your doors have at least three hinges and a dead bolt security lock which has a minimum one inch bolt throw length.
• Since double entry doors fail when their surface bolts break at the header trim or threshold, check the connections at both places. Be sure the surface bolt extends into the door header and through the threshold into the subfloor.

A great time to start securing or retrofitting your house is when you are making other improvements or adding an addition. Remember, building codes reflect the lessons experts have learned from past catastrophes. Contact the local building code official to find out what requirements are necessary for your home improvement projects.

Flood Insurance

The National Flood Insurance Program, is a pre-disaster flood mitigation and insurance protection program designed to reduce the escalating cost of disasters. The National Flood Insurance Program makes federally backed flood insurance available to residents and business owners. Flood damage is not usually covered by homeowners insurance. Do not make assumptions. Check your policy.

National Flood Insurance Program call
1-888-CALL-FLOOD ext. 445, TDD# 1-800-427-5593.