Prepare Your Home, Before Storm Season Starts
Part of a series on Hurricane Preparedness in Texas
Release Date: April 18, 2006
Release Number: 1606-194
» More Information on Texas Hurricane Rita
AUSTIN, Texas -- In preparing for the upcoming hurricane season, federal officials urge coastal Texans to prepare their dwellings, too.
"Hurricane Rita last year caused large-scale destruction along the Texas coast and this year's hurricane season is projected by scientists to be another active year," said Federal Coordinating Officer Sandy Coachman, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency's top field official for disaster recovery in Texas . "We urge individuals along the coast to take advantage of the weeks before hurricane season starts June 1 and make your home safer now."
After the devastating hurricanes and tropical storms of 1992, a team of experts examined homes that failed and those that survived, according to Coachman. They found four areas that can be checked for vulnerability to strong winds: the roof, windows, doors and garage doors.
FEMA publication, Against the Wind, lists measures you can take to strengthen your home from wind damage before the next hurricane strikes. A few of the tips are:
Roof
The roof of your house is most vulnerable to damage from high winds. The connection between roof and walls must be strong enough to resist the uplift effect of strong winds. Roof trusses or rafters should be tied properly to exterior walls with metal hurricane connectors or straps.
Have a building professional use specially designed metal connectors to attach the roof trusses to the wall studs.
Gable-end roofs are more susceptible to damage from high winds than hip or flat roofs. Bracing for trusses and rafters can add protection to your home. When choosing the appropriate connectors, check with lumber-supply outlets, home improvement stores or a contractor.
Windows
Installing storm shutters over all exposed windows and other glass surfaces is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect your home. Cover all windows, French doors, sliding glass doors and skylights.
Plywood shutters that you make yourself, if installed properly, can offer a high level of protection from flying debris during a hurricane. Plywood shutters can be installed on all types of homes. Consult a home improvement store or your telephone directory for custom permanent shutters. Renters should check with their landlords first.
Doors
If you have double-entry doors, one is active and one is inactive. Check to see how the fixed half is secured top and bottom. The bolts or pins that secure most doors are not strong enough to withstand hurricane winds. Check with your local building supplies retailer to find out what kind of bolt system will work for your door. Doors with windows also will need storm shutters for protection from flying debris.
Garage doors
Garage doors can pose a problem because they are so large they wobble as high winds blow and can pull out of their tracks or collapse from wind pressure. Some garage doors can be reinforced with retrofit kits. Check with your local building supplies dealer or home improvement store.
Inside the home
During a hurricane, ordinary objects inside your home can cause damage. Anything that can move, fall or break is a home hazard. Inspect your home at least once a year and fix potential hazards, by securing bookshelves to the wall, and anchoring water tanks.
Mobile Homes
Mobile homes are particularly vulnerable to hurricane-force winds and require special precautions. Anchor the mobile home with over-the-top, or frame, ties. When a storm threatens, do what you can to secure your mobile home, and then evacuate. If you have time before you leave, shut off propane tanks, leave them outside and anchor them down.
"Anyone along the Texas Gulf Coast , temporarily living in a FEMA travel trailer, must evacuate in the event of a tropical storm or hurricane," Coachman said. Leave the FEMA travel trailer and let FEMA worry about it. Do not remove it from its site, as stated in the lease you signed when you took occupancy.
"Another important caution, before you evacuate, is to clear porches, patios and yards of all objects that could be possible projectiles in high winds," Coachman said. "During the next few weeks, take inventory of your landscaping and remove dead branches from trees. This needs to be done soon so that the debris can be collected before it too becomes a projectile. Check with your local government for the collection schedule."
Against the Wind (FEMA-247) can be ordered free from FEMA's publication warehouse by calling, toll-free, at 1-800-480-2520 or viewed on line at www.fema.gov and typing in the search field: FEMA publication Against the Wind.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 16-May-2006 10:13:37