Storm & High-Flood Damage Prevention Plan

Inspect Your Home

• Walk around your home and property, inspect it inside and out, upstairs and downstairs. FEMA suggests that everywhere you look, ask yourself the question: "What could go wrong here if there was a storm or a flood?" Make a list and try to address each potential problem.

Is Your Property Vulnerable?

• Check how close you are to brooks, creeks and larger bodies of water, and how far above the water line your house is built. If your house is near or below the water line, you will want to invest in a sump pump for your basement, flood or no flood. You might also look into creating a built-up barrier on your property between you and the water source.

  Check the trees growing near your house. Are any of them near enough to fall onto or against your house or car? Do any of them have branches that look ready to fall? Have a tree service remove dead branches and any branches or trees that could damage your house in a high wind.

  If a storm is imminent, take in or tie down all patio furniture, grills, trash cans, garden tools, even lawn ornaments--anything a high wind might turn into a potential missile.

Outside Your House

• Examine your roof shingles and any aluminum siding, brickwork or veneer on outside walls; make sure they are secure and in good repair. Gutters and storm drains should be free of leaves and debris so that water will run off properly.

  Windows need shutters to protect them from storm winds. If you have large picture windows, you need to be able to board them up quickly. Plywood storm shutters are a cost-effective way to protect your windows during most storms, according to Spencer Rogers, a coastal construction and erosion specialist at North Carolina Sea Grant (a resource website for issues affecting the North Carolina coast). Once you have them, you can store plywood shutters until needed.

Inside Your House

• Check your roof and attic--they are most vulnerable to storm winds. Make sure the inside and outside of your roof are in good repair. On main floors, check for leaks around doors, windows and where walls meet the roof. Look for discolorations in paint or caulking, swelling of door and window frames and bulges under paint, wallpaper or plaster. Repair and/or seal any leaks, cracks or separations you find before wind and water make a small problem into a big problem.

The Basement

• Your basement is most susceptible to flood damage. Check your foundation for cracks, separation and leaks. Repair anything you find. Make sure your sump pump works. If you have basement windows, make sure they have built-up barriers or flood shields. If you have a ground level basement entrance, that will need a barrier or flood shield, too.

The Garage

• High winds can damage or break in garage doors, which can then destroy your garage and cause structural damage to your home. Reinforce your garage door by adding braces across the back of the door, strengthening the opening mechanism and boarding up garage door windows.