How To Prepare Your Home From a Natural Disaster

Preparing For The Unexpected

Do you have a disaster plan? Take the time to have the tools and plans in place to make it on our own, at least for a period of time, no matter where we are when disaster strikes. Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to know which types of disasters could affect your area. Know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find. 

Flooding

Hurricanes are a yearly threat on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the U.S., typically in summer and fall, but regional flooding from large storms can occur anywhere. Damage from hurricanes’ high winds and storm surge is most prevalent in coastal communities and can affect areas more than 100 miles inland, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
 

Wildfires

Find out how to fortify your property and protect yourself during wildfires. Wind-driven wildfires can break out where abundant grasses and brush have baked dry after the long, hot summer, often igniting homes that border wildlands. Such fire events predominate in the western U.S., but wildfires can be a threat to many residential areas that are close to open spaces with an excess of dry vegetation. 
The time to prepare your home against a natural disaster is before a catastrophe strikes. All the preparation in the world might not save your house, but it may mitigate damage and save your family members’ lives during a wildfire, hurricane, flood, tornado or earthquake. Here are some general steps you can take to shore up vulnerable areas of your home.
 

12 General Steps

  1. Keep Roof, Windows and Doors in Good Repair
  2. Know How to Shut Off Your Gas, Water and Electricity
  3. Unclog Gutters and Drains
  4. Trim Landscaping
  5. Elevate and Strap Water Heater
  6. Check Your Home’s Foundation
  7. Have a Working Sump Pump
  8. Make Sure Your Home Insurance Is Up to Date
  9. Store Important Documents in a Safe Place 
  10. Have an Emergency Supply Kit
  11. Keep a Go Bag Handy
  12. Make Sure Your House Number Is Visible 

Charge Up & Connect

If you’re one of the lucky folks who has a generator, the going won’t be so bad, and you can live in relative comfort until the power’s back on. But generators can be expensive, beyond the reach of many of us. If a storm is coming and you could be facing days or even weeks without electricity, these steps can help you make it through.

First-Aid Checklist

If you haven’t peeked in your medicine chest in recent memory, or simply haven’t gotten around to putting your emergency supplies together, here’s what to include in your kits, where to store them and how to maintain them properly.

Emergency Disaster Resources

Arizona Emergency Information Network
An in-depth Guide For Citizen Preparedness
Make A Plan for Disasters and Emergencies
Federal Emergency Disaster Resources
Disaster Preparedness For Your Pets
American Red Cross Disaster Resources