What to do before a storm:
- Install shutters or pre-cut plywood to protect windows and doors.
- Bring in garbage cans and lawn furniture and pick up debris in the yard.
- Cut weak tree branches, along with branches that hang over structures.
- Make sure caulking around windows and doors is in good shape, and fill any holes or gaps around pipes or wires.
- Have roofs and overhangs inspected for signs of wear or damage.
- Have porches, carports, entryway canopies and storage sheds inspected to make sure they are structurally sound.
- Inspect sump pumps and drains and replace batteries if needed.
- Prepare and test generators.
Read more tips on the Insurance Institute website.
Hurricane season is here, and it’s expected to be a relatively normal one.
Still, experts warn homeowners to be prepared.
Hurricane season officially began Wednesday and runs through Nov. 30.
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama warned Americans against what he says is a growing "complacency" when it comes to dangerous weather, according to The Associated Press.
The government plays a vital role in protecting people from increasingly powerful weather, Obama said, but it is “every citizen’s responsibility” to be ready.
People should have evacuation plans and readiness kits handy, and should follow official evacuation orders, Obama said.
The National Hurricane Center predicts there will be between 10 and 16 named storms, between four and eight hurricanes and between one and four major hurricanes.
There have been an average of 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Karen Minton said.
On Saturday, a tropical depression meteorologists had been watching for days was upgraded to a storm and named Bonnie. However, its heavy rains later dissipated over South Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Julie Rochman, president of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, said Hurricane Andrew was one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history. It devastated south Florida during what had been a relatively quiet season in 1992.
“We must prepare while the sun is still shining,” Rochman said, “One storm is all it takes to turn a whole season into a disastrous, terrible record-setter.”
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