The transition from winter into spring can be rough on your home as stormy weather crashes across the landscape. Floods, ice storms, and heavy winds are all possibilities, although after the unusually calm winter sent our way by El Nino, the risk seems slighter than most years.
Still, it’s always wise to be prepared for whatever the weather might throw our way. “There’s a measure of emotional security that comes from knowing you’ve done all you can to reduce the potential for damage to your home,” says Jeanne Kern, a mitigation specialist with the Chicago office of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“Sure, there’s insurance and you can deal with problems later, but if you’ve done something in advance to lessen the problem you’ll feel much better” should an emergency or disaster come along, Kern said.
Beyond that, there’s a bit of financial security that comes from taking preventive measures, says Margaret Sheehan of the Boston-based Institute for Business & Home Safety, a not-for-profit organization sponsored by the insurance industry.
“Disaster assistance from FEMA or a state agency only does enough to make the house habitable again,” Sheehan says. “It doesn’t restore the house completely, or return any of the personal treasures that are lost.”
Now is a good time to examine your yard and the exterior of your house to determine whether there are any potential hazards that should be dealt with. Two reasons: The weather makes working outdoors acceptable again; and harsh spring and summer storms could be on their way. There are many things you can do to prepare your property, but not all of them apply to every yard.
Experts like Kern and Sheehan warn that it’s not only people who live in flood plains who need to protect themselves against a deluge, but so do people who live nearby. While most homeowners are aware of sewer-backup valves and other indoor methods of keeping water out of the house, Kern describes a few outdoor aids.
First, she advises that any windows of basements or other rooms that are below ground-level be protected with low dams in order to keep water from entering the house. These can be made of brick (especially if the windows are a prominent part of the house) or corrugated steel or plastic. Ready-made dams of plastic or steel are sold at most home-improvement stores.
Kern notes that FEMA also recommends the use of strategically placed landscape berms (long, low bumps) to protect against low-level flooding. “Building up the soil several inches creates a barrier that keeps excess water from flowing toward the house,” she explains. “Water stays in the streets.” A berm is easy to incorporate into most home landscapes; it creates a kind of showcase area, and small, young plants growing on top of it appear taller than they are.
On large suburban lots prone to low-level flooding, FEMA suggests building berms around the whole perimeter of the lot.
Sheehan notes that whenever a new roof is installed or a new home is built, homeowners can buy themselves some peace of mind by getting a roof that is fully secured. “A composition shingle roof should have a minimum of six nails per shingle,” she says, “and whenever possible there should be only one layer of roofing.” Old layers should all be torn off, in order to enhance the new roof’s stability, Kern says. Of course, these measures will add to the price of the roof.
Trees can become hazards in severe ice or wind storms, and the chance is much greater if the trees are not properly pruned. Trees with a lot of V-shaped branch crotches are far more susceptible to breaking under extra pressure or weight than those with U-shaped connections. A V-shaped crotch is simply weaker, and the smaller branch in such a crotch is always at risk in severe storms. Brad McCumber, an arborist in the Wheeling office of Davey Tree and Lawn Care, says softwood trees like willows and Siberian elms are more likely to suffer damage at V-crotches than hardwoods like oaks.
If trees in your landscape seem to have vulnerable branch connections, they should be pruned. It’s best done by professionals because they come equipped both with the tall ladders and the knowledge of how much cutting a tree can take.
McCumber also advises having the crowns of some trees thinned, which entails removing some of the major branches within the tree’s canopy. Although its aesthetic effects are sometimes hard to take, it dramatically reduces the likelihood of storm damage. “We do it systematically,” McCumber says. “Take out dead wood and weak branches to reduce the weight on major limbs and the surface area that ice can collect on.”
Protecting trees from storm damage isn’t just for their sake. Kern points out that trees are common sources of “airborne missiles,” or storm-tossed debris that can shatter windows or injure people.
Kern adds that garden accessories and furniture can also become problems in strong winds. Gazing globes (reflective balls sitting atop pedestals) and other lightweight decorative items left in the yard should either be adequately secured at all times or brought indoors when storms are approaching, she says. Yard furniture, too, should be put indoors or under a porch during high winds.
“It’s not about protecting the furniture,” Kern says. “It’s about protecting everything else from the furniture.”
