The saying “Mother Natural does not negotiate” is accurate. It does not matter how prepared you are for a natural disaster, during 100+ mph winds you should expect the unexpected. Being prepared for anything will reduce your stress when things inevitably go sideways.
House Hardware failures
Check locks on your doors and windows to ensure latches, hinges, and bolts are in excellent condition. We had large folding cedar wood patio doors and the latches that were originally installed were too small for the height and weight of the doors. Our door hardware crumpled with our 150+ miles per hour hurricane winds. This created a tornado-like affect on the inside of our home. The wind and rain thrashed our living area causing our glass cabinet to buckle and come crashing down. This also meant trying to secure the doors as they flew open and shut violently. After about 15 minutes of struggling in the pitch black and working together, we managed to drill several 8-foot 2 by 4’s to secure the doors shut. We nearly lost a few fingers when the wind snapped the folding doors shut just removing our hand out of the fold before it slammed shut violently. Upgrading our door hardware in advance would have prevented some of the flooding and would have also prevented our glass cabinet from coming down. Cleaning up the contents of a glass cabinet took two people several hours after the hurricane subsided. In the rush of prepping for the hurricane it was something we failed to see in advance. Upgrading your doors hardware may keep winds from blowing doors open. You can also look into installing floor bolts as another way of securing the doors.
Don’t go outside during a natural disaster!
During a small lull in the hurricane winds, a friend decided to make a run for it and head to the garage to turn on his generator an hour after the power went out. I can’t stress enough what a bad idea it is to go out in a hurricane, although I know quite a few people that did. My friend’s wife anxiously observed with a flashlight as her husband headed to the garage. With the wind and rain blowing in your path you really cannot see more than a couple of feet in front of you. When his wife briefly lost sight of him and refocused her marine flashlight, directing it towards their garage door she saw a huge ficus tree had been ripped from its roots laying right in front of the garage door. Had her husband been crushed? This would have been the worst possible outcome. Fortunately, the tree came down mere moments before her husband had reached the garage door. If her husband been pinned by 500 lb tree he could have died or he could have been trapped with broken bones having to endure several more hours of hurricane-force winds. Luckily my friend’s husband was bent over sawing at tree limbs to gain access to their garage. This is a perfect example why you should never go out during a hurricane unless a family member is in trouble. You will encounter incredible winds speeds with projectiles such as glass, tiles, huge trees falling like toothpicks and other debris that will serve as decapitation or impaling weapons. Even if you lose power and your air conditioning shuts down, it is just not worth the risk of going outside. Stay inside and stay safe until the storm has completely passed.
Unprepared for water entry points
Although the major hurricane we endured was a wind damage hurricane, it did still dump a decent amount of water on us. Our home had a bedroom suite with 3 access doors. One door led to an ensuite outdoor bathroom, the second door led to an outdoor patio and the third door leading to a hallway to the house. When the latches and floor bolts failed on our outer patio doors, the water came slowly creeping in from beneath all these doors simultaneously. We frantically worked to soak up the water and barricaded each door with tightly wound towels to prevent further flooding. You can seal the door frame with weather stripping and tightly wound towels to help prevent flooding.
Flying glass during a natural disaster
If possible seek shelter in a windowless area of your home. During a hurricane one of the most dangerous elements is flying and shattering glass. Glass from windows and sliding glass doors are the main source of injuries during a violent hurricane and most other natural disasters. A neighbor was certain that they had chosen the safest place in their home. Unfortunately, they didn’t have hurricane shutters and their bedroom window shattered, badly lacerated his wife’s hand. Without power, her husband had to search for their first aid kit and with a flashlight in his mouth worked to tensor bandage her hand until they could see a doctor. Carefully access your home and determine which area will be the safest to hunker down for the storm. In some homes the bathroom is the safest place spot since there is only a small window, therefore reducing the risk. A set of quality hurricane shutter or screens can prevent windows from shattering. Some people prefer to board up windows with sheets of 3/4″ marine plywood.
Failed generator
A generator is a critical piece of equipment in the aftermath of any natural disaster. There is a true sense of panic that ensues after the power goes out. Whether it is a hurricane that takes down power lines or an earthquake that damages critical infrastructure, an alternate power source is like an insurance policy that you would never regret having. Many of the high end and expensive generators have a long life span. The reliability of your generator will depend on a few factors:
Brand name – is it a reliable brand name known in the generator industry?
What are the generator’s output and potential lifespan?
How often has the generator been used?
Have you performed a regular maintenance schedule to ensure it is running smoothly?
Do you have spare components such as filters, spark plugs and a conversion kit?
A generator is a machine much like a car, you need to perform a regular turn over and maintenance to ensure it is running at its optimum level of performance even if you aren’t expecting a hurricane. You will also want to perform bi-yearly oil changes. It is also important to recognize your generator’s lifespan. Keeping track of your generator’s hours and treat it like a vehicle. A vehicle requires oil changes, clean fuel, and maintenance. Your generator is no different. You should know when to throw in the towel when your generator is on its last days. You can only put a bandage on so many times before the bandage won’t hold any longer. Our generator was over 20 years old, it had gone over the recommended life span hours but was still running with a few hiccups. The problem had been the regular maintenance wasn’t done consistently and while we might have been able to get another year’s use out of our generator foresight told us we should have replaced it. Our generator ran for a few hours then failed completely. We ended up suffering far more than we needed to during our hurricane. We strongly suggest inspecting your generator every six months regardless if you are expecting a hurricane or any other natural disaster. Loss of power can happen anytime, in any weather conditions due to several reasons. Place 2 mini post-it notes on your yearly calendar and just like an oil change in your car, go over your generator checklist to ensure you have all your bases covered. If you see issues with your generator that can be fixed, do so immediately. If you know your generator needs replacing, don’t delay and start shopping for a new one.
