How to Ensure Your Home is Hurricane-Ready

How to Keep Your Home Prepared for a Hurricane

Hurricane season in North Carolina is no joke. Spanning from June 1 to November 30, homeowners across the state hunker down and ensure that their most prized investment is armed and ready to go — just in case a hurricane happens to appear out of the blue.

While this may not be your first hurricane season, some homeowners let preparedness fall by the wayside over the years. And no matter how strong the hurricane may be, it's vital to always stay alert and ready.

That said, here are some ways that you can ensure that your home is hurricane-ready all season long.

Have Whole-Home Surge Protection in Place

Do you know if your home has surge protection? If not, now is the time to schedule your appointment and have this vital task completed. Unlike yesterday's homes, today's houses are stocked with expensive electronic appliances and computer equipment. If a power surge were to occur, all of those costly power-consuming devices could sustain damage.

Whole-home surge protection will be able to protect all the electronic devices in your home during a power surge. Additionally, even when there's a smaller power surge fluttering throughout your home, a whole-home surge protector will still be able to provide a defense to your electronics — keeping them around much longer.

Invest in a Standby Generator

There's nothing more frustrating than hunkering down for a hurricane and losing your power in the process. While a small generator from your local home improvement store can be a quick fix, there's nothing better than having a whole-home generator swooping in to save the day and restore power in your humble abode.

Whole-home generators are connected to your home's electrical wiring and can either be started automatically or manually. However, once your standby generator is powered on, everything will resume back to normal — including your home's air conditioning.

Test Your Whole-Home Generator

Now, if you already have a standby generator installed, it's important to test it ahead of time. This will not only ensure that it will work in the event of an emergency, but it will also lessen the chance of running into any problems in the eye of the storm.

In addition to testing your whole-home generator, be sure to fill the fuel — that way, you won't put your life at risk and attempt to replenish its onsite fuel storage during the hurricane. Now, if you do not have a whole-home standby generator, it's also vital that you test your small portable generator — just to ensure that you'll be good to go.

Stock up on Necessities

Sure, some hurricanes might be a quick blip and nothing more — but others are heinous and can cause serious damages. Regardless, it would be best if you had necessities on hand at all times. Some items of importance to have include:

• Batteries

• Flashlights

• Toilet paper

• Non-perishable foods

• First-Aid kit

• Bottled water and more

Once you have these items on hand, it's important to store them properly. Ensure that they're placed in a safe, dry spot to make sure that they'll be readily available (and not damaged) should you need them in the event of an emergency.

Other Hurricane Preparations to Consider

Now since we've mentioned the essentials, here are some other ways to stay prepared that often fall by the wayside in the heat of the moment:

• Always pay your bills early during hurricane season

• Write down a list of emergency contacts to have on hand

• For insurance purposes, take photos/videos of your property pre-hurricane

• Have portable cell phone chargers on hand

• Contact an electrician for an electrical home safety inspection ahead of time

Raleigh Electricians You Can Always Rely On

For over twenty years, Zar Electric has been serving the Triangle area with the utmost professionalism and experience. Our licensed and insured electricians can provide the quality of service you're looking for — no matter the size of the job.