Keep informed with these disaster preparation tips for the upcoming Texas storm seasons.
Be prepared for a hurricane
(June through November)
- Monitor NOAA and your local radio and television stations for any emergency alerts and weather information.
- Utilize a room in your home that meets FEMA or ICC 500 standards in the event of a hurricane.
- Have a licensed contractor inspect your roof for signs of wear and tear and repair or replace if necessary.
- If you need to make any repairs to your roof, make sure the roofing materials are rated as either Class 3 or 4, which are stronger materials that can better sustain impacts.
- Consider sealing your roof deck, which will help prevent water damage to your home.
- For home windows and doors, look into impact-rated hurricane shutters and bracing for garage doors.
Be prepared for a hail storm
(March through May)
- Be sure your home’s air conditioning unit has protective screens all around it which will help reduce the likelihood of damage to coils and fins.
- Keep your garage cleaned out so you can quickly move any vehicles inside during a hail storm.
- Monitor NOAA and your local radio and television stations for any emergency alerts and weather information.
- Have a licensed contractor inspect your roof for signs of wear and tear and repair or replace if necessary.
- If you need to make any repairs to your roof, make sure the roofing materials are rated as either Class 3 or 4, which are stronger materials that can better sustain impacts.
- Consider sealing your roof deck, which will help prevent water damage to your home.
Be prepared for a tornado
(Late spring through June)
- Build an underground tornado shelter, or utilize a room in your home that meets FEMA or ICC 500 standards in the event of a tornado.
- Monitor NOAA and your local radio and television stations for any emergency alerts and weather information.
- If you need to make any repairs to your roof, make sure the roofing materials are rated as either Class 3 or 4, which are stronger materials that can better sustain impacts.
Be prepared for a wildfire
(winter/spring season, due to trees and grass being dried out due to the cold, and late summer/early fall season when Texas heat takes it’s toll)
- When building a new home, renovating, or simply making repairs, consider using fire-resistant materials.
- Create a safe zone around your home by removing any flammable vegetation, such as overhanging branches near your roof. Also move any wood piles, liquid propane gas tanks or gas grills at least 30 feet from your home.
Be prepared for a earthquake
(year-round)
- If you have a masonry chimney, make sure it’s well reinforced and won’t detach during an earthquake.
- Be sure to properly brace your water heater to the wall. A fallen water heater can lead to flooding, or even a natural gas line rupture.
- Install protective safety film on the inside of your windows to prevent shattered glass.
- Secure bookshelves and cabinets to walls.
- Make sure your home has automatic safety shut-off valves for water and gas lines.
- Consider using earthquake-hold museum putty to help personal items stay in place on shelves. Also be sure to move any larger, heavier items to the lower shelves.
Be prepared for floods and storms
(year-round)
- Have a licensed contractor inspect your roof for signs of wear and tear and repair or replace if necessary.
- If you need to make any repairs to your roof, make sure the roofing materials are rated as either Class 3 or 4, which are stronger materials that can better sustain impacts.
- Consider sealing your roof deck, which will help prevent water damage to your home.
- If you have a basement, seal the walls with waterproofing compounds to help prevent seepage through any cracks.
- Install check valves and sewer backflow valves that can help prevent return flow which can help prevent health hazards or even water damage to your home.
- Clean out the gutters around your home regularly, or even install protective gutter guards or screens which can help prevent flooding.
Be prepared for a winter storm
(Fall through spring)
- Properly winterize your home with insulation, caulking and weather stripping.
- Keep both interior and exterior pipes insulated to prevent freezing.
- Due to the buildup of snow and ice, make sure to repair any roof leaks, clear out rain gutters, and look to make sure your roof can handle the extra weight.
- Cut down any tree branches that could break and fall, damaging your home.
- Make sure to test all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, ensuring they all have fresh batteries.
- Get your chimney or flue inspected once a year.
- If you’re utilizing a space heater, make sure it has an automatic shut-off or tip-over switch. Ensure it’s placed on a flat surface and is away from high-traffic areas or flammable items like curtains, furniture or bedding. Always plug the space heater directly into the wall outlet, never using an extension cord.