After spending the week hunting up scarce drinking water and non-perishable foods Ron, Jordan, Mushu, and I headed the mile or so up the street to ride out the storm with Nana, Poppop, Paris the cat, as well as their friends N & M and their cat Callie. We arrived Saturday, September 9th around 7pm. The winds started picking up late Saturday night. We were supposed to be taking an almost direct hit from a category 5 hurricane. For the next day and a half there was prayer, games, storytelling and some resting going on. Irma’s track kept changing, she shifted to the east, then to the west. Where was she going to go?

Thankfully for us, Irma lost steam over Cuba and headed further east than was anticipated. It was still a powerful storm but here in Bradenton, we wouldn’t be feeling the worst of it. At 9:45pm on Sunday, September 10th we lost power. Thankfully we never lost cell service so we were able to watch the track online. All night long the winds and rain raged. I have lived in Florida for 37 years and I have never experienced anything close to this kind of storm. It was scary. We were blessed with some sleep. Thankfully power at my in-law’s house was restored by 8:15am on Monday morning.

Our house wasn’t quite so lucky. Our power went off at 5:52pm on Sunday. As of this writing (2:00pm Friday 9/15/17) there is still no power at our home. The electric company estimates we will have power back by midnight on  9/22/17, a week from now! We also lost the Jacaranda tree in my back yard. It twisted and fell onto the roofing over our bedroom. Friends in the neighborhood texted me pictures. Thankfully, there was no damage to the roof!

Ron, along with some friends from church, has gotten the tree off the roof, and some of it has been chopped up and put out front for removal. Ron has been working for about 4 days and the tree is about 1/2 done. We don’t own a chainsaw so this is quite the tedious task.

I am so thankful that we were spared from the worst of Hurricane Irma and her destruction. I am thankful all of my family came through with minimal damage. I am thankful that I have a place to stay that has air conditioning, internet, and water because many people do not. I am thankful for all of the linemen and everyone else working so hard to restore power to the millions of people in Florida who lost it in this storm.

There are 74 homes in my neighborhood still without power. Our next door neighbor is oxygen dependent. The other day she ran out of full tanks. Ron was able to bring his dad’s generator over and hook up her oxygen machine and a room air conditioner to keep her alive and make them more comfortable. Of course, we lost a refrigerator and freezer full of food, but we will survive.

Please pray for everyone who has been effected by Hurricane Irma. Many are much worse off than we are. The 90+ degree temps make living without power very difficult.

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According to IBHS, the key is removing everything fire would view as a fuel source. This will help create a zone around the home to help slow flames, should a fire start, and potentially direct it elsewhere.   Take these steps within 30 feet of most houses, 50-100 feet if it’s a heavily wooded area:

1. Eliminate fuel sources like dry landscaping, woodpiles and decks.
2. Prune trees and shrubs.
3. Trim taller trees so lowest branch is no less than six feet from the ground.
4. Remove dead leaves and branches from the yard.
5. Clear branches from around the roof and chimney.
6. Mow lawn regularly and dispose promptly of cuttings and debris.
7. Clear roof, gutters and eaves of debris.
8. Maintain your irrigation system.
9. Move firewood and storage tanks 50 feet away from the home.
10. Store flammable liquids properly.

Homeowners about to begin a landscaping project can increase their protection by introducing more native vegetation and spacing trees at least 10 feet apart.

And if a facelift is being planned for a home’s exterior, use only non-combustible materials on the roof, walls, eaves, soffits and fascia.

Thanks to www.disastersafety.com and IBHS.org for this article

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Protect yourself. Always be careful when entering a damaged building. If there is serious structural damage, contact local officials before entering. Report downed power lines or gas leaks. Keep electricity turned off if the building has been flooded.

Protect your property. Take reasonable steps to protect your property from further damage. This could mean boarding up windows and salvaging undamaged items. Your insurance company can tell you what they will pay for regarding protection.

Report the loss as soon as possible. Contact your insurance agent or an insurance public adjuster near me as soon as you can. Provide a general description of the damage and have your policy number handy if possible. Write down the adjuster’s name, phone number and work schedule as soon as you have them.

Prepare a list. Keep damaged items or portions of them until the claim adjuster has visited, and consider photographing or videotaping the damage to document your claim. Prepare a list of damaged or lost items for your adjuster.

Keep receipts. If you need to relocate, keep records and receipts for all additional expenses. Most insurance policies cover emergency living arrangements.

Return claim forms. After your insurance company has been notified of your claim, it must send you the necessary claim forms within a certain number of days (time period varies by state). Fill out and return the forms as soon as possible. If you do not understand the process, be sure to ask questions and write down the explanation.

Cleanup. When starting the cleanup process, be careful, and use protective eyewear and gloves if available. Adjusters may tell business owners to hire a professional cleaning service.

Build stronger next time. When you’re ready to start repairs or rebuild, work with your contractor to make the new structure disaster-resistant.

This information was taken from the IBHS publications “You Can Go Home Again” and “Getting Back to Business.” For more recovery and rebuilding information, visit the IBHS website www.disastersafety.org.

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Water damage from wind-driven rain can be a costly problem, even when windows, doors, and roofs remain intact.

Research conducted by the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) during recent hurricane seasons found water can be forced into buildings through small holes, unsealed openings and gaps around windows and doors. If not discovered and dried-out quickly, the extent of the damage can increase.

“Keeping water out is the new frontier in hurricane protection,” said Tim Reinhold, IBHS vice president of engineering. “Wind-driven rain is forced under doors and through window seams, leading to soaked floors, baseboards, and sometimes drywall and furnishings. It’s a particular problem for hi-rise and beachfront condos with patio doors.”

Seal All Holes and Openings

* Close and lock all windows, doors, skylights and vents to prevent water intrusion.
* Use polyurethane sealant to close up holes where wires, cables and pipes enter and exit the house, and around electrical boxes and circuit breaker panels. Pipe penetrations include AC refrigerant and condensate lines, water heater pressure relief lines and water pipes.
* Also seal cracks around wall outlets, dryer vents, bathroom and kitchen vents and electrical devices such as wall lights. Make this a part of routine maintenance to protect your home from the elements all year long.

If you’re in a flood prone area or near roads that are expected to flood, seal off the base of doors with sand bags or plastic sheeting and tape.

Protect Patio Doors
If your patio doors have a high exposure to the elements, deploy your shutter system if you have one. Hurricane screens have been particularly effective in slowing wind-driven rain to a fine mist, reducing the chance it will pool in the door tracks.

If you don’t currently have a way to protect your patio doors, have supplies on hand to dry up any water instruction immediately after the storm passes.

For more information, visit the IBHS web site www.disastersafety.org and review the hurricane publications “S Marks the Spot” and “Keep Wind and Water Out.”

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The Institute for Business & Home Safety.

THE TOP THREE HURRICANE PROTECTION MYTHS
And why believing them can be dangerous

Gearing up for hurricane season can often mean well-intentioned friends and relatives will provide you with their own tips and advice.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety wants to help residents in vulnerable states avoid some potentially dangerous ideas, by identifying The Top Three Hurricane Protection Myths.

1. Open the windows so the air pressure doesn’t explode the house.

This would not only be unsafe for you and your home, but it would also allow wind-driven rain to stream through your house and ruin belongings.  The normal leakage of air around windows and doors will tend to keep the pressure in your house slightly lower than the atmospheric pressure caused by the storm outside.  The greatest danger comes when a large window or door fails on a wall facing the wind.  The key is keeping all wind and water out with proper opening protection.

2. You only need to protect the openings facing the ocean or gulf.

Because hurricanes are a moving, rotating storm, winds can come from any direction, which can change rapidly if you are near the eye. Your best bet is to protect windows and doors on all sides of your home.

3. You should tape windows with a big “X.”

Taping glass does nothing to address the main point of protection – keeping the glass in its frame and securely attached to the home.

Remember – never lean or push against a window or door that is being blown inward by wind pressure.  And no matter what kind of glass you have, stay away from all windows during a severe storm.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other property losses by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.

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I know not all of my readers live in hurricane prone areas, in this series of tips we will also cover information on floods, wildfires and tornadoes too. I feel that it is important to get the word out about what you can do now to protect your family in case a natural disaster strikes where you live.

In the interest of full disclosure, all of my tips are coming from the Institute for Business and Home Safety. My sister, Wendy Rose, is currently the Media Relations Manager for IBHS and she is my source for the information.

TOP 5 WAYS TO PROTECT HOMES FROM HURRICANES

The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has outlined five ways to better protect homes from damaging wind and rain this hurricane season.

1. Shutter all openings
2. Secure loose roof shingles
3. Seal openings, cracks and holes
4. Strengthen soffits
5. Survey surroundings

1-Shutter all openings
The most important thing you can do to improve the chance your home will survive a hurricane is to protect all windows and doors. The range of products on the market today means it’s easier to find protection that fits your budget. Whatever you choose, make sure the product has the proper approvals for wind pressure and large-missile impact. If it’s not a permanent product, install permanent fasteners ahead of time so installation is easier when storms threaten. Gable end vents can be shuttered as if they were a window. Garage door companies have bracing systems available for about $400 that should work for most door styles (visit now for more information).

2-Secure loose roof shingles
Keeping shingles attached is critical. If the edge shingles are not well fastened or extend beyond the drip edge more than a 1/4″, high wind can lift them off and create a peeling process or domino effect. If they come up without much effort (older shingles become brittle and may crack when bent too much), call a roofer to have them secured with three one-inch dabs of roofing cement under each tab. You can visit their site for more information.

3-Seal openings, cracks and holes
Water can invade homes in a number of ways, especially when it’s being blown horizontally. The problem is compounded if there’s a loss of power and air conditioners or dehumidifiers are unable to dry things out. Fill holes where wires, cables and pipes enter and exit the house and seal around electrical boxes and circuit breaker panels. Seal cracks around wall outlets, dryer vents, bathroom and kitchen vents, and wall lights.

4-Strengthen soffits (the material covering the underside of your roof overhang)
Keeping soffits in place can help keep water out of your house. Some have wood supports but the soffit material is not adequately fastened to the wood or there is no wood backing and the vinyl or aluminum channels are stapled or nailed to the wall. If there are wood supports, secure soffit material with sharp-pointed stainless steel screws. If the channels are just nailed to the wall, you can use polyurethane caulk to seal the channel to the wall and tie the parts together.

5-Survey surroundings and limit potential flying debris
Limiting possible sources of wind-borne debris before a storm will help protect your home and those around you. Replace gravel/rock landscaping materials with shredded bark. Limit yard objects. Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed. Cut weak branches.

For more information, request a free copy of the IBHS publication “S Marks the Spot” by calling toll free 1 (866) 657-4247 or view it on the IBHS web site www.DisasterSafety.org.

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