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"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" was the time-worn, but necessary call to disaster preparedness underscored long before hurricane season by the Weather Channel Forum on Hurricane Preparedness and Response, developed by the Atmospheric Policy Program of the American Meteorology Society.
Among the forum's findings to correct hurricane disaster policy, was the often-neglected practice of mitigation-- the act of preventing damage before it occurs, rather than cleaning up afterward.
"Overall, the nation pays insufficient attention to hurricane preparedness and response," the forum found.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency likewise swears by mitigation as the cornerstone of emergency management. While mitigation involves keeping homes away from floodplains, engineering bridges to withstand earthquakes and creating and enforcing effective building codes to protect property it also includes tasks homeowners can take to shore up existing homes to better withstand hurricane forces.
"The trick to making a wood-framed structure extremely wind resistant is to create a continuous connection path from the roof rafters or trusses all the way down to the foundation," says Cincinnati's Tim Carter of AskTheBuilder.com.
If you live in hurricane country, that means battening down each component of your home.
Roofing, walls
FEMA says the broad, flat surface of the home below gable-end roofing makes a home particularly susceptible to high wind damage. If the framing -- rafters or trusses -- isn't braced, winds could blow off the roof and, once inside, rip down the walls.
A professional roof inspection can indicate if your roof needs bracing. Hire only licensed, specialized contractors to do the work -- installing 2x4's between the roof rafters or trusses at each end of the house, as well as anchoring accessible roof rafters and trusses to the wall system.
If you have to strengthen interior walls to hold the roof connections, that could mean removing surface covering to get at the framing, says the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center at the University of Colorado.
Garage doors
The garage door is another broad, but weak surface. A skilled do-it-yourself home owner can perform the necessary reinforcement work -- adding girts across the back of the door and strengthening the glider wheel tracks. Also replace old or damaged garage doors with a stronger model. Reinforce it as well. Smaller single-car garage doors resist wind forces better than two-car garage doors and windowless doors are safer because glass is easily broken by high winds and wind blown debris.
Windows
Double or triple glazed windows not only provide a stronger wind barrier, but add energy-efficient insulation, greater fire protection and noise abatement qualities to your home.
However, even triple-glazed windows that aren't protected can offer easier access to wind borne missiles than permanent storm shutter (not the cosmetic variety) protected windows.
For every $1 invested in wind shutters at the Emergency Service Center South, in Dade County, Florida, at least $5 is saved in mitigated interior damages.
Protected windows also reduce the risk of roof damage caused by high winds that manage to penetrate the building.
Temporary, less expensive plywood covers are another option you can also use to protect sliding glass doors or large widowed areas. However, don't nail down the plywood, as frantic homeowners are often shown doing during televised news broadcasts of approaching storms.
Fasten plywood panels down with screws or lag bolts long enough to penetrate the wall studs around the window, not just the siding or wall covering.
Doors
For doubled-sided entry doors, add a heavy-duty dead bolt or replace the existing dead bolt with a stronger one. Add sturdy slide bolts at the top and bottom of the inactive door and replace all existing hinge screws with longer screws that extend further into the doors and frame. Likewise, shore up single doors and replace old or damaged ones with stronger ones, FEMA recommends.
Wind-borne missiles
Remove or move trees so they are far enough away from your house that they can't fall on it.
Anchor storage sheds and other outbuildings to a permanent foundation or with straps and ground anchors. Keep your property clear of debris and other items that can become wind-borne missiles.
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