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The southern coast of the U.S. is bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Ida, which is moving across the Gulf of Mexico and could make landfall as early as Tuesday.
A hurricane watch is underway across more than 322 kilometres of coastline, from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana, where Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency on Sunday.
The hurricane watch means a storm with sustained winds of at least 119 kilometres per hour could strike the area by Tuesday. It also mobilizes public resources used in emergencies.
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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.
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.
The easiest designs are those that simply cover the opening with a structural panel such as plywood. In past hurricanes, many homeowners upon returning have noticed their temporary plywood shutters blown off because they were not adequately fastened. If you have a wood-frame house, use adequate fasteners to attach the panels over the openings when a hurricane approaches. Have these temporary shutters stored and ready to use since building supply stores generally sell out of these materials quickly during a hurricane warning. If your home is made with concrete blocks, however, you will have to install anchoring devices well in advance.
The American Plywood Association (APA) - The Engineered Wood Association offers a series of Hurricane Shutter Designs. Each design is available for $1, or you can download all five designs from the APA's Web site at no cost.
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.