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      <h1 class="headline">Hurricane Preparedness for Homeowners: 5 Things You Won&#39;t Regret Checking Right Now</h1>
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                By <a rel="author" data-omtag="web:article:by:author" href="https://www.realtor.com/author/jsager"><span itemprop="name">Jeanne Sager</span></a></span> | <span>Aug 25, 2017</span>
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              <p>Hurricane preparedness is one of those things that's easy to put off until, well, a hurricane is knocking on your door ... and threatening to tear it off the hinges. Hurricane season in the United States typically runs from June through November, and according to National Weather Center statistics, these storms leave billions of dollars in damages in their wake.</p><p>All of which means that there's no time like right now for homeowners living in storm-prone regions to know the basics of hurricane preparedness. Whether you stay to face the storm or evacuate, here are some areas to check on your home and how to protect them, which can make a huge difference in the amount of damage you'll face.</p><h2>Hurricane preparedness for your windows</h2><p>If you think all will be fine if you have some duct tape handy to create a giant X across each window, think again. This popular hurricane preparadeness home hack doesn't really hold up in high winds.</p><div class="inline-related-articles">
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<p>"Duct tape on the windows is ineffective and won’t provide much protection against 155-mile-per-hour winds," says <strong>Sage Singleton</strong>, a community safety expert at <a href="https://www.safewise.com/" target="_blank" data-omtag="web:article:content:link">Safewise</a>. Instead, she recommends that folks who live in hurricane-prone areas replace existing windows with high-impact glass. If there's a storm headed your way, and you can't get a contractor out in time, boarding windows over with plywood is less costly and can still mitigate major damage.</p><div id="div-gpt-ad-ARTCL1" class="ads inline-article-ad text-center margin-bottom hidden-md hidden-lg"></div><h2>Hurricane preparedness for your doors</h2><p>Doors with loose screws or missing bolts are not going to be able to withstand hurricane-force winds, Singleton warns, so you need to make sure your doors are properly installed and secured. She recommends installing at least a 1-inch deadbolt to make doors sturdier. If your doors are made of glass, protect the window section of the doors in the same way you would your other windows.</p><h2>Hurricane preparedness for you  roof</h2><p>Newer home construction in hurricane-prone areas often calls for hurricane straps or clips, which are added to a roofing structure to hold the roof in place even in the <a href="http://www.realtor.com/advice/home-improvement/the-no-1-thing-most-likely-to-damage-your-home/" target="_blank" data-omtag="web:article:content:link">face of strong winds</a>. If your house is older or wasn't built with straps, homes can be retrofitted with these reinforcements, says <strong><a href="http://www.begal.net/Contact.php" target="_blank" data-omtag="web:article:content:link">Bill Begal</a></strong>, a disaster restoration specialist from Rockville, MD. The most important thing is that you find a qualified contractor who knows how to properly install them, Begal warns.</p><p>"<span class="il">P</span>ay attention to frequency and load maximums," he says. If your contractor doesn't use those buzzwords, you may want to call someone else. And even if you have the straps in place, it's wise to do a once-over of your roof to see if any of your shingles are loose.</p><p>"If a wind is strong enough, the shingles, regardless of the clips and <span class="il">straps,</span> may be in jeopardy," Begal says. This is also a good time to clear out your gutters, so water can flow freely and doesn't back up into your home or pool.</p><h2>Hurricane preparedness for your yard</h2><p>No matter the wind speed, the National Weather Service warns that trees and limbs can become airborne during a hurricane. The stronger the winds, the more potential for trees to fall on your home or for branches to crash through a window. To reduce the risk, Singleton recommends that homeowners trim back trees that overhang buildings, and remove any that are leaning or appear to not be sturdy as part of their hurricane preparedness.</p><h2>Hurricane preparedness for your basement/ground floor</h2><p>Where there is a hurricane, there is water, and where there is water, there's often <a href="http://www.realtor.com/advice/home-improvement/dont-let-your-flooded-basement-sink-you/" target="_blank" data-omtag="web:article:content:link">flooding</a>. Although the obvious step is to move everything you can up off of the floor or to the second story of your home if you have one, Begal suggests going the extra mile with personal documents and other items you can't afford to lose. Hard drives and other electronics should be placed inside a media cooler, which will keep them from overheating. As added protection, you can place your media cooler in a fireproof, waterproof safe.</p><h2>Want more advice on hurricane preparedness for your home?</h2><p>If you're not sure if you've done enough to protect your home, a disaster restoration specialist can provide advice on weaknesses around your home. Even if your house is given a clean bill of health, Begal says it's always good to have the restoration specialist's number in your book. Some storm damage simply can't be prevented, but when it comes to making repairs on broken windows or a damaged roof, "every second counts," he says.</p>
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