Storms can be severe and leave a lasting impact on our communities, but there are ways to prepare your home to minimize the risk of damage when severe weather strikes. In some cases, taking these steps can mean the difference between costly home repairs and no storm damage to your home at all.
Stay Informed
Monitor weather and storm warnings so you can prepare in advanced.
- The National Weather Service provides many updates including weather forecasts, current conditions, flood warnings, and more: www.weather.gov/pqr/
- In addition to local alerts, Oregon Alerts can send automated messages and warnings. OR-Alert is an effort to ensure statewide access to receive alerts, warnings, and notifications (AWN) systems, enabling real-time sharing of hazard information across Oregon’s 36 counties and tribal governments. This technology also allows county emergency managers to access notification tools including FEMA’s Integrated Alerts and Warnings System (IPAWS) which is capable of issuing messaging to all cell phones in a geographic area. This OR-Alert page will direct you to the sign up page for each county in Oregon.
Prepare Before Inclement Weather
- Remove dead wood. Trimming your trees help prevent falling branches in heavy wind or other severe weather. For particularly tall trees, experts can do the trimming for you and can tell you when trees are at risk of being blown over in a storm so they can be removed.
- Secure outdoor items. Loose items like grills, picnic tables, and lawn furniture should be brought inside to avoid becoming projectiles in high winds. Decorations, even those securely attached to the home, could cause damage or be destroyed in the storm.
- Deal with drainage problems. Clean gutters from fallen leaves and other debris. Address other drainage problems around your home, including areas where water can drain onto the foundation and cause damage. Landscaping professionals can help you identify the problems and find solutions so that you don’t have issues when the storms come.
- Create and test emergency plan(s). Stock emergency supplies, and install battery-powered or batterybacked-up carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors. Winterize your home. Review your property insurance, and safeguard critical documents. Get trained on specific needs your family may have. Also, consider joining your local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Identify a place nearby where you can safely warm up should you lose heat in your home.
- Inspect the roof periodically. If an inspection shows possible leaks, getting them fixed right away will help protect your home from damage. A brand-new roof should withstand most weather, but if your roof is more than 5 years old, it should be checked for loose shingles, nails, and sheathing. Loose shingles, nails, and sheathing can cause chunks of roofing to be dislodged or create openings for rain and ice to penetrate. Roofs that are over 15 years old risk sudden deterioration or failure in storms even if no problems are apparent.
- Consider impact-rated windows. You may be able to protect your windows from damage by installing hurricane shutters, or by just boarding up the windows if a severe storm is imminent. New windows are likely to be more airtight and impervious to leaks and damage than older windows. In areas where severe weather is frequent, such as coastal areas, consider windows that are specially made to withstand storm-level air pressure and impact.