What the weather has shown us on the news the last two weeks has been absolutely devastating to people and their possessions.
We know people have died, which is very sad, but nature deals us a deck of cards that cannot always be dealt with, especially with catastrophic Hurricane Harvey, as well as Irma.
Now a third major Hurricane, Jose, which at the time of this column, is barreling its way towards the Caribbean (which has already been devastated) and the U.S., which may or many not spare the inhabitants along its path
There was not much one could do from the excessive damage caused by the flooding from Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Beaumont and many other surrounding areas in Texas.
Who could predict 50” of rainfall?
The real problem is that many homes and developments are being built in locations that make no sense whatsoever, even with much, much less rainfall occurring.
Many rivers and reservoirs are too close to those locations, but the construction continues, regardless, and some developers are more interested in making money than the well-being of the people who purchase and are living there.
The local governments are also lax in allowing these developments to be constructed.
Up here in Long Island, we have previously experienced our own Hurricane disasters of Sandy and Irene, and many of us were also not prepared, especially on the South Shore of Long Island.
Question is what can you do to prepare and mitigate issues in advance of a hurricane?
1. Updated windows and doors with protective shutters will protect you from excessive winds and damaging debris.
2. Make sure everything on the outside is secured or preferably stored away.
3. Large trees that are leaning should be checked out by an arborist to determine the threat of falling.
Those that can be pruned away from your home or building should be addressed in advance of Hurricane season.
4. How strong and secure is your roof and is it up to code, especially if your home is in a very windy or turbulent location. Maybe you will need some type of fastening system, as needed, to prevent it from coming apart
5. Another area of weakness is your garage door, so make sure it is absolutely secure, so the turbulent wind will not violate the interior of you home and cause major damage.
6. Keep your gutters and leaders clear of debris, so water will not back up into your roof or attic and will flow freely away from your home. Remember water is the major issue that does the most harm to people and property.
7. If you are in a low lying location, you should have a proper drainage/sump pump system in your basement to keep it as dry as possible, probably tied into a battery backup system, in the event of the loss of electricity. There are also new systems that will alleviate the water and the pressure it creates in basements, by allowing the water to escape through release hatches that are constructed.
8. Many homeowners are opting for a natural gas (or gasoline) generator to keep the home functioning, but depending on your location, it might have to be 10 feet off the ground to prevent it from being rendered inoperable in times of flooding.
9. Do you have sufficient supplies, water, food, candles and batteries. Federal Emergency Management Agency has designed an emergency kit that you can put together, which you can find online.
10. Do you have a land line besides your cell phone? You might want to consider having one just in case, as a backup.
11. Have a battery operated radio or TV available, to stay connected.
Also have extra batteries for whatever devices you have, to keep you going.
Having a home or property that is elevated, as is required by code in many coastal areas on Long Island, will be your best bet at surviving a Hurricane.
However, if Hurricane Harvey or one with similar rain fall, had hit Long Island, would it have made a difference with the amount of rainfall?
Probably not, unless your property was sufficiently elevated, and its location.
But we hope that doesn’t happen in the future, but one never knows with Global Warming and the severity of the storms that have been occurring. Just be as prepared as possible, for the “What If.”
Phil Raices is the owner/broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 7 Bond St. in Great Neck. He has earned designations as a Graduate Realtor Institute and Certified International Property Specialist.
He can be reached by email: Phil@TurnkeyRealEstate.Com or by cell (516) 647-4289 to answer any of your questions or article suggestions.
