No matter where you live, bad weather can disrupt your life in an instant. However, taking steps now can help protect your home, your loved ones, and your peace of mind when nature turns unpredictable.

Keep The Lights On

Power outages can happen anywhere at any time, but they’re more likely during big storms. For added peace of mind, consider investing in a backup generator to keep your refrigerator, sump pump, HVAC, and other essentials running. Make sure it’s properly sized for your home by adding up the wattage of the appliances and systems you may want to power (each of which can usually be found on the appliances themselves or their manuals); this will tell you the minimum capacity your generator needs to have. And depending on the type of generator and your local building codes, you may also need to have it professionally installed.

Make A Plan

Having a designated area in your home for shelter can make all the difference in waiting out the storm with essentials, such as bottled water and nonperishable food, close at hand. For example, the best location during hurricanes and tornadoes is a small, windowless interior space on the lowest level of your home, like a basement, bathroom, bedroom closet, or interior hallway. Note, however, that if flooding is the concern, you should do the opposite: move to the highest floor of your home that’s still away from windows and exterior walls. And be sure to put an evacuation plan in place, especially for floods and wildfires, including having access to emergency alerts.

Protect Against Flooding

In areas prone to floods, prevention begins long before the first raindrop falls. During the next rainstorm, step outside and watch how water moves around your property. If it pools near the foundation, it may be time to regrade your yard so it slopes away from your house. You could also install a French drain along the perimeter to help redirect any water.

For basements below the water line, a sump pump can quickly remove water during heavy rains. Just be sure to test it monthly or seasonally, especially before any big storms, so you know it will work when you need it most. Also, make sure to seal any cracks in your basement walls with waterproof caulk to keep liquid from seeping in. And because not all storms come with a warning, keep a few sandbags or quick-deploy flood barriers on hand to protect doorways and low-lying entrances.

Defend Against Fires

Taking proactive steps is also paramount with wildfires, which are often caused by lightning and dry conditions. Start by regularly trimming trees and bushes so they don’t touch the structure or hang over the roof and storing firewood far from the foundation. In addition, clear leaves, pine needles, and other debris from your roof and gutters, since a single wind-blown ember can ignite them in seconds. For even stronger protection, consider installing metal wire mesh screening over vents to block embers and treating exterior wood on your house with fire-retardant chemicals. If you want to go all in to protect your property, consider upgrading to fire-resistant siding and Class A-rated roofing.

You can’t control the weather, but you can control how ready you are for it. Investing a little time and money now could mean that you’ll face whatever may come next with more confidence.

For more info, visit ready.gov