Whether it’s a hurricane or a tropical storm, anyone living in the State of Florida knows full well what it means to begin preparing the moment the state ‘may’ be in its path. Altogether too often residents get complacent, and at the last minute are scrambling to board windows and tie down any loose outdoor furniture, all before heading for the nearest shelter. While Mount Dora, located in the center of the state might seem an unlikely spot for a hurricane to pass directly over, it can, and has happened. However, there have been tropical systems that are almost as destructive, and that’s why it pays to know what to do when preparing to protect your home and property.
Beyond the Immediate Concerns
This is something so many people aren’t aware of if they’ve never lived through a natural disaster of any kind. It could be a wildfire, a tropical system, or in some parts of the country, an earthquake. Because there is often no way to prepare, what they forget to do is keep the number of repair services handy so that they don’t need to live with half their roof torn off or a tree downed across a driveway. Although you can live safely with that driveway blocked, you can’t say the same for a roof half gone.
As a rule of thumb, anyone living in an area prone to tropical systems should have repair companies lined up to make the necessary repairs. For example, roofing repairs Mount Dora, FL may be one of the services you would need after a tropical storm, hence why companies like Insurance General Contractors understand how to get the work done while also working well with all major insurance companies. That can be one of the biggest holdups of all, so it does pay to be prepared for what comes after the storm.
Don’t Forget Where You Will Stay
Another very important consideration when preparing for a tropical system that may damage your home is where you will stay after the storm. Shelters are there during the immediate danger but after the eye has passed, Red Cross workers return to their homes, and shelters are dismantled. What if your home was uninhabitable until repairs were made? What if the roof was torn and your home flooded and had to be drained and dried? Where will you stay? That is another very important factor that should always be a part of your Emergency Preparedness plans.
It Can Happen to Anyone at Any Time
Anyone living in South Florida during the 1990s knows all too well what complacency can cost them. It had been decades since a major hurricane struck the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area so, once again, they thought the path would steer it southward. They were so wrong when deadly Andrew struck, tearing a huge swath of destruction from Miami up to Fort Lauderdale and beyond. The best advice, when told to prepare for the arrival of a tropical system, is to do just that. Be prepared! Make sure you also prepare for what comes after the storm, because that can be the biggest disaster of all.
