Posted on: April 24, 2018

We’re no strangers to hurricanes here in South Florida. Just this past hurricane season, Irma swung through the Caribbean and caused a substantial amount of damage in Florida and throughout the Southeast United States. Are you wondering how to prepare for a hurricane? Hurricane preparation is incredibly important to the safety of your home and your family.

Here’s a look at steps you should take to develop a family hurricane plan that keeps your loved ones safe:

  • Prepare Your House and Belongings in Advance of a Storm: Before the storm arrives have everything ready.  Bring inside all of your belongings (outdoor furniture, plants, etc).  If you do not have impact windows and doors, have your shutters ready and close them in advance of the storm.  Check your garage door.  If it is a new garage door with slide locks, make sure to slide the locks into place and unplug the operator.
  • Get Alerts and Warnings: Make sure you have a way to get alerts and warning from authorities. You can often get severe weather alerts pushed to your phone. A weather radio is another good idea. But always make sure you’re getting alerts and updates from officials as a hurricane approaches — and always listen to what they say and follow what they recommend.

  • Know How You Will Shelter: If it’s okay to remain in your home, make sure that you have a plan for how you will shelter in place. How will you secure your home? Where will you spend time during the worst of the storm (a centrally located room without windows is best). Also, know how you will evacuate if and when the time comes.
  • Understand the Evacuation Route: The government has already outlined hurricane evacuation routes throughout the state. Make sure you know what your evacuation route is and be sure you understand the fastest and most efficient way to get to it.
  • Develop a Communication Plan: How will your family members communicate? Be sure to have a plan in place before severe weather strikes. Cell phones are good but not necessarily reliable. Make sure you have backup plans in place should a hurricane knock out cellular service.
  • Consider Household Needs: Certain commodities become scarce after a storm. Food, water, medication, household items, gasoline — all of these items will be at a premium in the days after a hurricane. Make sure you’re stocked up on everything you need before a storm hits and make sure you’re careful when running appliances and machinery like generators.
  • Practice Your Plan: The day of an actual hurricane is not the time to familiarize yourself with a family hurricane plan. You should do a dry run well before hurricane season starts. Know how you’ll make decisions, how you’ll communicate, how you’ll evacuate and much more. The goal is to have a step-by-step plan that outlines every action your family will take in the case of a hurricane and then for each family member to have internalized that plan to the extent that it feels like second-nature.

At Broten Garage Door Sales, we’re no strangers to hurricanes either. We work with clients to provide garage doors that are designed for when a hurricane comes, and we also work with clients after hurricanes to repair and restore their garage doors.

 

If you need help with your garage door, we’re here to help. Since 1955, we’ve been serving homeowners in Broward County, Palm Beach County and communities throughout South Florida. We offer installation, repair and maintenance on garage doors, garage door openers and garage door accessories. We do quality work every time and we strive to deliver service that goes above and beyond the expectations of our clients.

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Do you need help preparing for or recovering from a hurricane in South Florida? Call on the experts at Broten Garage Door Sales. Through our more than 60 years of experience in this area, we’ve helped innumerable Floridians make sure their garage doors are able to withstand the high winds of the hurricanes we experience. Browse our selection of hurricane-rated garage doors today!

Categories:

Clopay, Events, Garage Doors, How To, Hurricanes