REMOVE TREES AND POTENTIAL WINDBORNE MISSILES Protecting Your Property from High Winds FEMA April 2008 If the area immediately surrounding your home contains trees, outbuildings, trash cans, yard debris, or other materials that can be moved by the wind, your house will be more likely to be damaged during a hurricane or tornado. The wind can topple trees onto your house and can pick up smaller objects and drive them through windows and glass doors. You should ensure that all trees on your property are far enough away to prevent them from damaging your home if they should fall. The distance between the structure and any nearby tree should always be greater than the height the tree will reach when it is fully grown. All storage sheds and other outbuildings should be securely anchored, either to a permanent foundation or with straps and ground anchors. Smaller objects, such as trash cans, barbecue grills, and outdoor furniture should also be anchored or, if you have adequate warning, moved indoors. You should also clear away any debris, such as fallen tree branches. BENEFITS OF UTILIZING THIS MITIGATION STRATEGY * Helps to prevent damage to a structure and its contents * Helps to prevent injuries to occupants TIPS Keep these points in mind when you remove trees and potential windborne missiles: * Remove large trees near your property. They can be extremely dangerous for both you and your home. Therefore, this is a job for a skilled contractor. * Use the straps and ground anchors also used for manufactured homes to anchor outbuildings, especially small garden sheds that are usually not placed on a permanent foundation. * Secure outdoor furniture and barbecue grills by bolting them to decks or patios or by attaching them to ground anchors with cables or chains. * Secure trash cans with cables or chains attached to ground anchors or wood posts firmly embedded in the ground. Trash can lids should be attached to cans with cables or chains. ESTIMATED COST If you hire a contractor to remove a large tree, you can expect to pay about $1,000 to $1,500. Having a contractor anchor a storage shed with straps and ground anchors will cost about $100 to $200. OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION FEMA 247, Against the Wind: Protecting Your Home from Hurricane Wind Damage, December 1993, http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1641. FEMA 549, Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast: Mitigation Assessment Team Report, Building Performance Observations, Recommendations, and Technical Guidance, Chapter 11, “Recommendations,” July 2006, http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1857. To obtain copies of FEMA documents, call the FEMA Publications Warehouse at 1-800-480-2520 or visit FEMA’s Library online at http://www.fema.gov/library.