Preparing your house for a hurricane

While Hurricane Joaquin thankfully spared most of Pennsylvania this past weekend, the threat of a hurricane should be enough for your clients- and you- to make sure your home is prepared in the event of a hurricane.

Jura Koncius of The Washington Post recently posted five tips on readying a home in case of a hurricane. These are tips to share with your clients, and tips to remember yourself.

1. If you have a sump pump, make sure it’s functioning. Unplug your sump pump and then plug it in again to make sure it’s connected. If you can, do a water test and make sure the pump is properly processing the water.
2. Prepare your basement for the possibility of water. Remove any extension cords you have on the floor. Raise up any valuables or furniture that would be damaged by a flood.
3. Walk around the outside of your house and check it. If you have window wells, it’s preferable to have hard plastic covers to avoid them filling up with water. If you don’t have covers, you can install temporary rain covers using trash bags and duct tape to keep standing water away from the window and foundation.
4. Examine your basement steps and drain. If you have a stairwell leading down to a basement door, sweep and remove all the leaves and debris. Clean the drain itself as best you can. If there is no drain or your drain is old, stack sandbags or bricks in front of your basement door to create a barrier to help prevent water from getting inside.
5. Make sure your gutters and downspouts are clean. A blockage in a downspout can cause water to back up and start dumping next to your foundation. Standing water near the house may seep inside. If your downspouts empty too close to your foundation, buy extenders to keep water farther away from your house.