If you plan to ride out the storm in your home, make sure it is in good repair and up to local hurricane building code specifications. Many of these retrofits do not cost much or take as long to do as you may think. Have the proper plywood, steel or aluminum panels to board up the windows and doors. Remember, the garage door is the most vulnerable part of the home, so it must be able to withstand the winds.

Strengthen Your Home from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

Gutters

Along with strong wind, hurricanes bring heavy rains. Your gutters are there to direct this rainfall away from your home and prevent flooding. This only works if your gutters are clear and in good shape. Take the day to clear out leaves or any other debris. While you’re up there, make sure you don’t have any rusted-out spots, holes or openings.

Enhancing your roof sheathing attachment

You can improve your roof’s resistance to uplift without removing any of your roof covering. Proper application of the right caulk can increase the wind uplift resistance of your plywood roof sheathing by as much as three times. This one-day activity should be started in the early morning as attics can become quite warm in the afternoon.

Instructions and a list of supplies can be found on the Federal Alliance For Safe Homes website.

Information and graphics are from the National Weather Service and FLASH.

Learn about determining your risk and developing an evacuation plan, assembling emergency supplies and getting an insurance checkup. Look for additional Hurricane Preparedness Week posts on Alabama NewsCenter each day this week. For more weather news and information from James Spann, Scott Martin and other members of the James Spann team, visit AlabamaWx.