How to Protect Your Home from Disasters
In September of 2024, Hurricane Helene reached north Georgia with surprising force. FOX 5 Atlanta reported that “as the floodwaters rose, almost 60 people were rescued from one apartment complex on Peachtree Park Drive in Buckhead.” It’s shocking when disasters strike our homes, and we typically don't ever expect it to happen to us—until it does. We don’t live in a high-risk area, but that doesn’t mean that events like this can’t happen. It just means they aren’t common. That’s why it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
No matter where you live, you’re always at risk for plumbing problems or house fires that could damage your home. These can be caused by the weather, but they can also occur from simple mistakes, normal wear and tear, or poor installation and maintenance. In fact, the Insurance Information Institute has found that “about one in 60 insured homes has a property damage claim caused by water damage or freezing" on an annual basis. That makes home disasters more common than any of us would have likely thought.
Now, we don’t mean to scare you with this. No home can be entirely disaster-proof, but there are plenty of steps you can take that will protect your family and home from potential damage crises. Our team at Provision has helped countless homeowners rebuild and recover from all kinds of disasters. We’ve seen firsthand how preparedness and simple upgrades can make a world of difference for you and your family. Here are some simple ways you can strengthen your home against disasters and why it’s so important to take preemptive measures to avoid becoming another statistic.
1. Reinforce Your Roof
Don’t underestimate the importance of a strong, sound roof over your head. Most homeowners don’t think about their roofs until it's too late. Remember that your roof is your first line of defense against severe storms with heavy rain, hail, and winds.
How to Strengthen Your Roof:
Regular Inspections: Have your roof professionally inspected* every couple of years to check for loose shingles, cracks, or weak spots.
Use Stronger Materials: If you are replacing or repairing your roof, opt for impact-resistant shingles and ensure there are water-resistant layers.
Seal Gaps: Double check that any chimneys, vents, or skylights are fully and properly sealed to prevent leaks.
*Be mindful of potential roof inspection scams. They are a common scheme where fake roofing companies will offer a free inspection and then produce fake evidence of damage (or damage your roof themselves) in order to get you to pay them for repairs. Always do your own research into local roofing companies first and contact one that is reputable, licensed, and insured for an inspection.
2. Upgrade Your Windows and Doors
These are entry points to your home that are the most susceptible to storm damage and adverse conditions breaking into your house.
How to Strengthen Your Windows and Doors:
Install Impact-Resistant Windows: These can handle strong winds and flying objects.
Use Storm Shutters: If you can’t replace your windows, adding strong shutters provides extra protection without costly window installations.
Solid Doors: Durable doors made of strong materials with secure locks will help keep the elements and intruders out.
Reinforce Garage Doors: A weak, old, or compromised garage door can collapse in a storm and allow wind to rush inside and cause even more damage.
3. Secure the Outside of Your Home
You may have never considered this, but the outside of your home also plays a huge role in alleviating home disasters. Your siding, gutters, and even landscaping can all provide added security in the event of a home crisis.
How to Strengthen the Outside of Your Home:
Check Siding and Gutters: Inspect your siding and gutters every year to make sure they’re still secure in every spot and in good shape.
Improve Drainage: The ground should slope away from your home to prevent flooding.
Remove Fire Hazards: Keep any wood piles, dry leaves, and plants farther away from your home to mitigate any exterior fire hazards.
Use Fire-Resistant Materials: Fiber-cement siding and even stucco are great options that provide more fire-resistance than your typical siding materials.
4. Protect Your Belongings
Whether its a house fire, a flooded basement, or a sewage backup, people’s belongings are often damaged beyond repair during a home disaster. Our team employs industry-leading methods to restore, clean, and sanitize belongings to their pre-disaster condition, but we can only do so much. The best course of action is to ensure your valuables are as safe as possible before a disaster strikes.
How to Protect Important Items:
Store Valuables in Safe Places: Keep important papers and family keepsakes in higher areas to avoid water damage. Pictures and documents are among the most destroyed items that we find. We have ways of restoring these at times, but you’d be wise to store them above potential water levels in the first place.
Use a Fireproof and Waterproof Safe: For additional security, store your most important documents, like passports, legal papers, and emergency cash, in a secure safe.
Secure Heavy Furniture: Strap your heavy furniture to the walls to keep it from falling over or tipping in floodwaters.
Back Up Important Files: Save your photos and documents in cloud storage so that you always have access to them.
5. Check Your Electrical and Plumbing
Most home disasters happen due to electric or plumbing failures. If you have compromised wiring or out-dated pipes, a small problem can turn into a huge disaster. This is the one word of advice that you cannot ignore.
How to Make Your Systems Safer:
Inspect Your Wiring: Have a trusted electrician complete an assessment of your home’s electrical system about every three to five years.
Use Surge Protectors: You can get a whole-house surge protector from your nearby hardware store to prevent power spikes that could ruin appliances.
Inspect Your Plumbing: You should hire a reputable plumber to perform a whole-home inspection every one to two years. This allows you to catch any issues before they become expensive leaks, backups, or pipe bursts. They will also be able to give you guidance about when to consider upgrading any old or compromised pipes.
Know Your Shut-Off Valves: Take some time to locate your water and gas shut-off valves and practice to ensure they aren’t seized and can be easily utilized. Spend some time teaching this to everyone in your household until they’re each comfortable with it. You never know who’s going to be home if a water or gas leak strikes.
6. Have an Emergency Plan
This brings us to our final tip for home protection. Have a plan. Even a well-prepared and equipped house can experience a disaster. You and your family knowing what to do and when to do it will go a long way in keeping you and your home safe and secure. We can’t stress enough how important a quick, calm response can be.
How to Create an Emergency Plan:
Plan Escape Routes: Whether there’s a flood, fire, or other event, everyone in your home should know how to make a swift and safe exit.
Prepare an Emergency Kit: Having this ready-to-go at all times isn’t crazy. You don’t have to be a prepper to wisely stock some food, water, flashlights, batteries, and first-aid in an accessible and portable case.
Have a Communication Plan: An agreed-upon meeting spot with a way to check-in will make sure that everyone is accounted for in the event of an emergency.
Practice Drills: Practice makes perfect! Make sure to have fun while practicing the drills to keep things light and feel sane.
When Disaster Strikes, Provision Can Help
Nobody really expects to be hit with a fire, water, or sewage disaster. That’s part of what makes it so damaging. Taking steps to strengthen your home and family with the right precautions and preparation can keep that damage from taking hold. This list might sound overwhelming, but just take it one at a time. Keep in mind that this isn’t able to completely prevent any kind of home damage from occurring. There is no foolproof way to entirely avoid crises in our lives. That’s where Provision steps in.
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, things still go wrong. Whether it’s a fire or smoke emergency, a frozen pipe burst, or even a sewage disaster—things happen. When they do, our team is there to walk you through the restoration process one step at a time. We provide free water, sewage, and fire damage inspections and consultations with absolutely no strings attached, so reach out anytime! From there, we’ll provide you with our findings in full transparency so that you can make an informed restoration decision. We’ll even handle your insurance claims on your behalf, start to finish!
We’ve made it our mission to deliver five-star customer care to every homeowner in need. Reach out today if that’s you.
