Anything loose
is going to become a flying projectile, smashing into windows,
the car, the roof....secure all that loose stuff!
Trees - Trim
any branches that might strike the house when the trees
start blowing in a strong wind. Clear out dead wood - it
will break off and start flying around dangerously. If
you have a tree that could fall on the house you might
want to take it down now while you can control where it
lands.
Plants -
I have a lot of plants in ceramic pots. To protect both
the plants and the windows I put a plastic sheet down in
the bedroom and bring potted plants indoors. The other
plants are on their own, but they do pretty well - most
of the time.
Tools and Toys -
Pick up all rakes, shovels, tricycles, bicycles... anything
you can pick up, so can a hurricane. Put everything in
the shed or garage. Don't forget the trash cans.
Windows -
Permanent shutters are best, plywood sheets will work.
Lacking that, put strips of masking tape on the glass to
give it a little more flex. If something breaks the glass
the tape will help hold the pieces together rather than
letting it shatter and fly into the house. You may also
want to cover the windows with blankets to catch flying
debris.
Patio furniture -
Put the lawn chairs into the shed or garage. If you have
a swimming pool you can throw the plastic furniture into
the water where it will sink safely beneath the water.
You can retrieve it later.
Small boat -
Wedge it into a protected corner of the yard and fill it
with water - hopefully that will make it too heavy to fly. |