According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), hail causes around $1 billion in damage to properties each year. Whilst you can’t completely stop a hailstorm from causing any potential damage, there are ways to help reduce the amount of damage that a storm can do. We’ve put together some of the best ways to ensure that your home is well-prepared to withstand a hailstorm with minimal damage as a result.

Preparing in Advance

When a hailstorm approaches, there is little that you can do in order to ensure that the risk of damage to your home is kept to a minimum. If you have any trees near your home, it’s important to make sure that you trim them regularly and keep your eyes out for any branches which could potentially fall onto your home and cause damage during a hailstorm. Getting rid of these branches will significantly reduce your risk of damage, since hail is likely to break branches from trees. You should also have your roof inspected regularly to ensure that there are no factors which mean that the roof is weak and more likely to suffer damage. If there are any roofing issues, ensuring that they are fixed immediately can reduce your risk of damage from hail.

Preparing for an Approaching Storm

If you are tracking hail swaths and are aware that there is a storm approaching your home, there are a few things that you can do quickly in order to ensure that you reduce the risk of damage as much as possible. If the storm is far away from your home that it is not yet posing an immediate threat, you should prepare first and foremost by moving any expensive items around your home such as cars and other vehicles, RV, or boats into a covered area. Putting other large objects such as garden furniture into a covered area is also ideal, as these items could be picked up by the wind during a storm and hold serious potential for damage.

Protecting Yourself

A home which is in good condition should provide enough protection from a hailstorm in most cases. If there is a storm approaching, your last step, once you have moved outdoor items into a covered area, is to close and lock all of the windows and doors which lead into the house. Shutting any curtains in front of your windows can also act as an extra barrier of protection should any windows become smashed during the storm, as the curtains will trap flying glass behind them – something which is especially important if you are planning to take shelter from the storm in an area of your home which is close by to a window. Once the storm has subsided, you should carry out a thorough inspection of your home in order to assess any damage which has occurred.

Hailstorms can cause significant damage to properties, but with the right preparation, you can ensure that your home suffers as little damage as possible in the event of a storm.

Article Submitted By Community Writer