Lyndsay Fogarty
Hurricane season 2020 is predicted to be a higher than average season. So it’s more important than ever to ensure that your family and your home are prepared for a storm.
Watch Out for Your Roof
Courtesy of EagleHawk
A home’s roof is one of the main concerns for individuals living in hurricane-prone areas. If wind can penetrate any weak areas in a roof during a hurricane then homeowners are at risk of severe damage.
EagleHawk One Inc., aka “EagleHawk” is a company that leverages mechanical engineering, data analytics, infrared technologies and the efficiencies gained from unmanned aerial systems. These drones serve clients across the nation with their building envelope inspections and preventative maintenance efforts. In a space once ruled by costly helicopters and dangerous, inaccurate hand-held surveillance, EagleHawk is acclaimed as a formidable industry disrupter. Also, the company is the preeminent provider of drone-powered analytics.
In the southeast, where tropical cyclones rule the property management world, EagleHawk’s technologies help clients prepare for hurricane season. EagleHawk flies infrared scanning drones above client rooftops prior to storm season. The purpose is to establish a baseline, pre-storm condition and report. Then, after the first storm of the season, or after the end of the season itself (whichever comes first), the same rooftops are scanned again. At this stage, EagleHawk’s infrared sensors establish the “delta” condition.
This shows irrefutably what damage is related to weather as opposed to owner negligence or neglect. EagleHawk’s reports allow clients to fend off insurance scrutiny when the worst-case scenarios come to unfortunate fruition.
Now is the time to think about scheduling this service if you want to have peace of mind with your roof this hurricane season.
4 Ways to Prepare for a Hurricane Now
As of last month, researchers at Colorado State University are predicting that the 2020 hurricane season will be have higher than average activity. They are anticipating 18 named storms, including eight hurricanes.
No matter how much activity is predicted by weather experts, it’s important to prepare the same way for every hurricane season. You know that you need to stock your emergency kits with food, water, flashlights, batteries and other storm essentials. But what else should you do now to ensure you’re prepared from the beginning of June through the end of November?
1. Write or Review Your Family’s Emergency Plan: Jot down information about how to get in touch with each other in an emergency. Include where you will go and your best evacuation route. Designate a safe room to use if you’re not required to evacuate and will be riding out a hurricane at home. It should be a small interior room, closet or hallway on your home’s lowest level. Try to keep as many walls between you and the outside as possible.
2. Prepare the Outside of Your Home: Trim your trees well in advance of a storm, removing any trees or limbs that are damaged. Additionally, clean and secure all gutters to avoid flooding.
3. Check Your Insurance Policies: It’s important to ensure that you will be covered for anything related to a natural disaster, including flooding. Prepare your home and vehicles in accordance with your insurance policies so any damages will be covered. Also, walk around your entire home now and take photos of everything, from televisions and computers to clothing items and dishes. Open drawers and cabinets to document all items. Doing this ahead of a hurricane allows you to prove ownership of these items to your insurance company should you need to file a claim. This could be nearly impossible to do when the damage has already been done.
4. Gather and Store Important Documents: Birth certificates, social security cards and insurance policies should be kept in a safe place year-round. But move them to a plastic bag or other waterproof storage container when a hurricane is heading your way. Many hotels will ask for health documents for your pet if you need a room during an evacuation. So keep a copy of your pet’s shot records with your important paperwork.
How to Eat Healthy During a Hurricane
When you’re in the direct path of a hurricane, it’s understandable that you might be tempted to stress eat. Most hurricane kits are full of heavily processed guilty pleasure items, so it’s easy to indulge. Even though you’re stuck at home monitoring weather reports, that doesn’t mean you need to get off track with your diet.
Skip the junk food when preparing your hurricane kit. This is especially true if you don’t have the willpower to avoid demolishing a whole can of Pringles. Instead, stock up with healthy choices. Here are some ideas for healthier items that you can include.
High-protein items:
-Canned tuna or salmon
-Canned beans
-Unsalted nuts
Supplemental items:
-Apples and oranges
-Dried fruit with no added sugars
-Low-sodium canned vegetables in a variety of colors
-Whole grain bread (make sure you can see the grains)
-Whole grain cereal
-Low sodium, natural peanut butter
You can get creative with many of these items when it’s time to prepare a meal. Make a bean salad by mixing together chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, green beans, corn and canned tuna. Toss it with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili flakes if you like a little bit of heat. Or substitute grilled chicken if you have a way to properly store the leftovers.
Snacks can include sliced apples sprinkled with cinnamon or dipped in peanut butter. Do you have cheese on hand that you need to get rid of because of a power outage risk? Then make a cheese plate with unsalted nuts, dried fruit and a whole-grain cracker like Triscuits.
When you plan ahead, you can avoid the last-minute run to the store for Pop-Tarts and hot dogs and instead stock up with items that you don’t have to feel guilty about when the storm has passed.
Dealing Pet Anxiety During a Storm
Have you ever found your dog hiding under your bed or in the back of your closet during a thunderstorm? That’s because the drop in barometric pressure during a storm, as well as loud thunder claps and bright flashes of lightning, can be frightening for them. There are some things you can do to keep your dog comfortable during a hurricane.
Consider dressing them in a Thundershirt during a storm. It applies gentle, constant pressure that is comforting to your pet. You might also try wrapping them in their favorite blanket and keeping them close if you don’t have one on hand.
Stock your hurricane kit with puppy pads so you don’t need to take your dog outside during a storm. Sometimes their anxiety is heightened when they have to go out in a storm and they can’t fully empty their bladder.
Ask your vet about CBD oil and other anxiety remedies. Do not give your dog any medications or supplements that you haven’t approved with your vet first.
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