As overwhelming and challenging storm damage recovery can be, you can take comfort in knowing that it’s not an impossible task. Consulting a hurricane survival guide or understanding the potential challenges you may encounter after a storm can help you prepare for an unexpected occurrence.

One practical way to ensure a swift recovery after a disaster is to learn the most common storms you can face and what kinds of property damage they can cause. Each storm type behaves differently, so they naturally impact your residential or commercial property in different ways.

In this straightforward hurricane survival guide, we’ve listed the three most common storms in the U.S., along with practical tips on surviving and recovering from each one.

Hurricane

Hurricanes are massive, swirling storms considered the most violent storms on Earth. They bring about extremely high winds, thunderstorm activity, heavy rainfall, and even storm surges that can be destructive, especially when they make landfalls.

Floods can also occur during and after a hurricane, usually due to heavy rains overwhelming storm drains. Each year, they cause extensive property damage, injuries, and even deaths.

How To Survive a Hurricane

• To protect your home before a hurricane, it’s always a good idea to cover your glass windows, caulk around windows and doors, store or secure outdoor items, and trim nearby trees and shrubs.
• During a hurricane, stay indoors and block all exterior doors. Doing so helps keep the forceful winds or flying debris from bursting through your door and letting the elements in.
• Once the hurricane has passed, beware of your downed power line poles or fallen power lines hanging overhead to avoid electrocution.
• Call your local storm damage cleanup experts to help you sort through the mess and recover as much of your property as possible.

Blizzard/Heavy Snow

Blizzards are severe storms that bring together high winds, heavy snowfall, and freezing temperatures. Unfortunately, this combination can do a number on homes, commercial buildings, and automobiles. For example, snow accumulation on a roof after a snowstorm can cause the structure to collapse and let water enter.

How To Survive a Blizzard

Here are some steps you can take to ensure your home or workplace makes it through a blizzard and the next few days:

• Inspect your water pipes for any sign of damage. If leaks or other issues exist, turn off the water supply to avoid dealing with a plumbing breakdown on top of any storm damage.
• If your building has a chimney, inspecting it for structural damage also helps minimize the chances of developing secondary property damage.
• As much as possible, refrain from going outside to assess the situation. If you see any damaged or downed power line, get in touch with your power company while staying indoors.
• Schedule a frozen and burst pipe cleanup company if you need help preventing or minimizing the complications from frozen pipes.

Tornadoes

Tornadoes are large, rapidly rotating columns of air that can grow up to two miles wide and move at 300 miles per hour. But while this is an extreme case, and most of them are much smaller and slower, massive tornadoes that hit the ground can set vehicles into the air, shatter windows, damage roofs, and even rip structures apart.

While many places experience tornadoes, states in the midwestern U.S., such as Texas, Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri, Illinois, and Ohio that make up the so-called “tornado alley” often experience the fiercest tempests.

How To Survive a Tornado

If you live in any of these high-risk states, keeping these pointers in mind can help you survive a tornado:

• Pay attention to the weather updates in your area, as some tornadoes can strike before experts can predict them. A dark-colored sky, a large, low-lying cloud, and a loud rumbling can signal that a tornado is brewing.
• If possible, seek shelter in your basement or any room without windows.
• Once it is safe to do so, start looking for damages to your roofs, gutters, siding, and windows. Other areas to inspect are your roof vents, chimneys, and garage doors.
• You can use tarps covers to secure your home from the elements, but avoid making significant repairs without the instruction of your insurance company.

Restore Your Home or Business to Pre-Damage Conditions, No Matter What Storm You’ve Faced

Severe weather can be devastating to any home or business. While there’s nothing you can do to prevent hurricanes, blizzards, or tornadoes from occurring, there are steps you can take to minimize the damage resulting from the ordeal and get your property back to normal. For example, consulting a hurricane survival guide helps you understand what to do before a disaster, and reviewing your insurance policy puts you on the right path toward property restoration.

To ensure you recover whatever storm you may face, make sure you also know the right experts to turn to. Your property is important to you as a home or business owner, so it’s best to work with a restoration team that feels the same way.

If you are feeling overwhelmed after a major storm, the experts at Restoration 1 are here for you. We have helped thousands of residential and commercial property owners recover from hurricanes to tornadoes, and we can do the same for you. Contact us and experience how good normal feels once again!