In 2017, two major hurricanes made landfall in mainland US back to back in one of the most active hurricane seasons the United States had seen in years. Both Harvey and Irma left destruction in their wake, and devastated everyone they hit – both the prepared and unprepared.
The best time to prepare for a hurricane is before the season begins. This means checking your home insurance policies to verify you have hurricane coverage, installing hurricane protection on the outside of your home, such as one of our several types of category 5 rated screens, stocking up on items such as batteries, generators, water, and non-perishable foods, and familiarizing yourself with the evacuation routes.
But what happens when a hurricane is on its way and you have done none of these things to prepare? Unfortunately, by the time a hurricane is forecast to hit, it is too late to purchase Armor Screen, but you still have options for protection.
What you can do:
- First, set a reminder to call Armor Screen for a quote after the storm
- Purchase plywood at your local hardware store. In the absence of permanent protection on your windows, plywood shutters will do the trick. Make sure it is secured properly around the edges.
- Purchase nonperishable food items such as canned meat, veggies, fruits, and peanut butter.
- Stock up on your supply of water, making sure you have three days worth of water for each person in your household.
- Make sure you have enough flashlights and batteries to see in the event of a loss of power. Hurricane lanterns are great items to have. Avoid purchasing candles to cut down on risk of fire.
- Purchase a NOAA emergency radio that will enable you to hear weather alerts if other communications have been knocked out
- Make note of your evacuation zone and local shelters in the event you are called to evacuate. Officials request that evacuees move a few miles inland, not hundreds of miles to other states so as not to clog highways that are needed to transport relief supplies and emergency vehicles. For your sake and the sake of rescue workers, follow all evacuation orders. Your property can be replaced, but you can’t.
- Fill your gas tank. In the event of a major hurricane, there will most likely be a gas shortage. Once roads are clear, you will want to be able to move out and about, and you cannot do this without fuel.
- Make sure any supplies are purchased early, as stores tend to run out quickly due to incredible demand in the days before a hurricane hits.
After the hurricane passes, contact us here at Armor Screen. We can help you find the right product to protect your home before the next major storm, so you will never have to worry about finding plywood again.