Whether you believe in climate change or not, you’ve got to admit: We’re seeing more extreme weather than we ever have. Let’s look at how you can prepare your home to survive future natural disasters.
Upgrade Your Insulation
You can buy only so many blankets to keep you warm in winter. A smarter solution is to invest in insulating your home so you spend less on heating it.
Look for rebates and incentives from you utility companies if you use eco-friendly insulation.
Xeriscape Your Yard
If you live in a region that is prone to drought or simply doesn’t get much rain, consider how much water you’ve been wasting keeping your grass green. A better alternative is xeriscaping it, which replaces the grass with drought-resistant plants and rock features.
Get Smart Landscaping
How many times have you forgotten to turn off your sprinklers? Technology for landscaping these days means you never have to worry about this problem. You can control and schedule irrigation and lighting with an app.
Waterproof Your Basement
There’s little worse than a wet, mildewy basement that wasn’t properly sealed. Before the rainy season hits, seal your basement floors and walls to protect them.
Weather Strip Your Windows
Keep air from seeping in cracks along your windows and doors with inexpensive weather stripping. These seals, which you can find at your local hardware store, can also cut down on your heating and cooling bill.
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Get Those Gutters Fixed
You’ve been putting off the job for ages, but it’s time to finally clean them and make sure they’re properly affixed. This will help to prevent water damage, prevent stagnant water from building up (which can breed mosquitoes), and keep mildew from forming.
Buy a Generator
You never know when bad weather will knock out the power in your neighborhood for hours … or even days. Having a generator ensures your family can keep the lights and heat on, even after a hurricane or ice storm.
Add Siding to Your Home
Covering your home with siding can insulate it as well as protect it from harsh weather conditions like snow, ice, rain, heat, and cold.
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Prune Tree Branches Over Your Roof
The older the trees and the heavier the branches, the more likely you are to have one snap or completely fall over should a major storm hit. By pruning the branches that sit over your house, you reduce the chance of one falling and causing damage to your roof.
Caulk Windows and Doors
Another way to keep air from entering and exiting your home is to caulk windows and doors to seal any cracks and holes that might be lurking. This can cut down on your utility bills.
Get a Sump Pump
If you have a basement, flooding can be a real problem. Having a sump pump can help you remove water buildup when rains are heavy.
Remove Lightweight Items in Your Yard
When the weatherman says a storm’s a’brewing, pull in all your lightweight outdoor furniture, toys, and plants. That way, if a tornado or strong winds hit, your furniture won’t be scattered on your neighbor’s lawn. Nor will it break their window!
Create an Emergency Kit
It’s a smart idea to keep an emergency kit full of essential items you might need during extreme weather. It should include a flashlight and batteries, nonperishable food, clean drinking water, a first aid kit, and anything else you might deem necessary.
Make a Sandbag Barrier
If one or more of your doors to the outside is at the bottom of a slope, you risk water entering your home during heavy rains. Prep before a storm by placing sandbags in a barrier across the door so water is diverted around the door.
Protect Windows with Film
If you live in the path of tornadoes or hurricanes, placing window film on windows may keep them from breaking. It can also provide insulation to your windows.
Plant Trees
This isn’t going to provide an overnight solution, but planting trees near your home can provide shade once they’ve grown. This can help keep your home cool in those extremely hot summers we seem to be having more and more of.
Install Thermal Curtains
Speaking of those hot days, an affordable way to stay cool and cut down on your energy bill is to install thermal curtains. They’ll block out the sun and the heat.
Waterproof Important Documents
Imagine what you would do if you lost all your personal documents to a natural disaster. How long would it take to replace your passport, Social Security card, and birth certificate? Put any important documents you have, such as birth certificates and insurance forms, in waterproof and fireproof containers.
Back Up Your Computer Files
Also imagine what you’d do if your computer melted in a fire or died in a flood. All the work and photos you stored there … what would become of them? The easy solution is to back them up to the cloud. That way, you can access them from any computer.
Create a Safe Room
When a tornado or hurricane hits, the last thing you want is for your family to be in a room with a window that might shatter and hurt them. Consider creating a safe space in a room without windows where you can shelter until the storm passes. Store your emergency supplies here.
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