7 Tips on Hurricane Protection for Port City Homeowners

Hurricane season is here, which means it’s high time for Port City homeowners to prep their properties for incoming storms. High winds, hail, and far-flung debris are serious hazards for your family and can threaten your home’s walls, windows, and roof.

When it comes to hurricane protection, preventative measures are always more effective than responsive repairs. Today, we’ll dive into seven impactful ways you can protect your home from hurricanes now and in the future.

1. Pack an emergency kit

Hurricanes can cause plenty of logistical problems, including electrical failures, flooding, and fallen trees or power lines, any of which could result in you and your family being trapped at home for a little while. Putting together an emergency kit ahead of time is a great idea.

Some good things to have in your emergency kit include:

• Canned or non-perishable foods
• Water
• Basic medical supplies like bandages, hydrogen peroxide, and alcohol wipes
• Batteries and chargers for electrical devices like phones or generators
• Flashlights
• Emergency blankets and dry clothes or fabrics
• A radio so you can hear reports from local officials

With an emergency kit on hand, you can hunker down at home and wait out the storm.

2. Secure outside items and furniture

For many homeowners, the most hazardous objects to their homes are things lying around the front or backyard. Furniture, toys, and gardening tools or equipment can all become potential dangers to your household and family members. This is why preventative hurricane protection for your home is vital.

Before a hurricane hits, secure those outside items by storing them in the garage, shed, or some other indoor area. Anything that can't be brought indoors should be tied down and covered with secure tarps. The less likely it is your outside items will fly around due to heavy hurricane winds, the better.

3. Invest in impact windows and doors

Not all windows are alike – some are meant to provide protection from the torrential forces of hurricane-level storms. Impact windows are designed for durability and style, making them ideal for Port City homes (and any other properties along the Carolina coasts).

The engineered strength of impact windows goes above and beyond recommended force resistance limits, offering superior resilience without compromising on energy efficiency or aesthetics. They’re even available in different styles, ranging from double-hung impact windows to impact sliding windows and more.

Want to protect your home from the next big coastal storm? Replace the largest windows with energy-efficient impact windows. You’ll save your wallet from costly repairs (plus higher utility bills over time).

Don’t forget the front door, either. Impact entry doors are made of strong, energy-efficient fiberglass, offer extensive customization, and feature composite frames that can resist mold, mildew, and more. They’re excellent upgrades to stop a storm from blowing in through the front door!

4. Look into protective shutters

The strongest storms might call for you to cover your home’s windows with hurricane protection products. Protective shutters are the perfect upgrades for ensuring peace of mind and home safety.

Bahama shutters, for example, look great on many coastal homes. But they also offer shade on sunny days and protect your windows on stormy ones. Or you can opt for accordion shutters, which are best for larger windows or patio openings – they’re easy to expand and can completely cover gaps in your home when storms roll through.

Overall, high-quality protective shutters can shield your home’s windows from the worst that hurricanes can throw at them, making them excellent investments for any Port City property. Window World’s shutters even come with manufacturer warranties, giving you more insurance in case a defect is detected upon installation.

5. Or find other ways to protect your windows and doors

Don’t have time to order and install impact windows or protective shutters? If there's a big storm on the horizon, you can board up your windows (and your doors, for that matter) with marine or exterior-grade plywood.

Aim for boards that are 5/8 inches thick – that’ll make them sturdy enough to stand up to hail and heavy winds alike. Try to buy those boards ASAP so your local home improvement or hardware store doesn't run out before you need them!

Once the storm is over, you can remove the plywood boards until you need them next. However, we recommend looking into permanent hurricane protection options for long-term security, like the above-mentioned shutters or heavy-duty storm panels.

6. Trim or remove hazardous trees

Depending on where your property’s trees are located, it may be wise to trim back some of the largest branches or remove trees that could potentially fall on your property. You may be able to tackle basic trimming, but more complex projects call for hiring an arborist to climb up and remove dangerous branches.

7. Lock down the garage door

Don’t forget to lock and seal your garage door if possible. If needed, use chains, hurricane straps, and other securing tools to keep your garage door shut in the middle of a hurricane. The high winds of these dramatic storms could cause unlocked garage doors to lift up, exposing everything inside to the forces of nature.

Get hurricane-ready window protection

Since windows are among the most vulnerable spots in your home, it makes sense to prioritize their defensive upgrades first. To get started, all you need to do is stop by Window World of the Port City’s showroom and get hurricane protection for your home.

Protective shutters, impact windows, storm doors – you name it, we have it, and our local experts know just what your home needs to stay safe this hurricane season. Visit us in person today or request a quote online to take the first step of hurricane protection.