Skip to headerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
Get our Free E-newslettersGet our Free E-newsletters
Kiplinger logoLink to homepage
Get our Free E-newslettersGet our Free E-newsletters
Subscribe to Kiplinger
Subscribe to Kiplinger
Save up to 76%
Subscribe
Subscribe to Kiplinger
  • Store
  • Home
  • Investing
  • Retirement
  • Taxes
  • Personal Finance
  • Your Business
  • Wealth Creation
  • More
    • Podcasts
    • Economic Outlooks
    • Tools
  • My Kiplinger
    • Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine
    • The Kiplinger Letter
    • The Kiplinger Tax Letter
    • Kiplinger's Investing for Income
    • Kiplinger's Retirement Report
    • Store
    • Manage My E-Newsletters
    • My Subscriptions
  • Home
  • real estate
real estate

How to Protect Your Home from Hurricanes

Hurricane season begins June 1, and scientists at Colorado State University expect 2018 to be another big year, forecasting seven hurricanes—three of them major.

by: Kimberly Lankford, Patricia Mertz Esswein
September 10, 2018

Getty Images

Hurricane season begins June 1, and scientists at Colorado State University expect 2018 to be another big year, forecasting seven hurricanes—three of them major. (In 2017, there were six major hurricanes, with Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria doing lasting damage.)

You can reduce the risk of costly damages by strengthening your home against the destructive forces most likely to affect your area of the country. By doing so, you’ll increase the likelihood that your home will survive the worst that nature throws at it. And depending on your state, municipality and insurer, you may qualify for grants or insurance-premium discounts to offset part of the cost.

More of us might be in hurricane danger than realize it. Here are steps you can take to minimize the damage from storms.

1 of 4

Keep Your Lid On

Getty Images

Wind and rain are the obvious hazards of a hurricane, and your roof is going to take the biggest stress. That’s not actually because of water falling down on the roof — rather, it’s the risk of air pressure blowing the roof off if a door or window gets compromised.

The best time to add protection to an existing home is when you replace the roof. A few inexpensive upgrades can make a big difference. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety outlines a series ot standards (which earn a discount from many insurers):

  • The bottom layer—the plywood roof deck—is held on by special “ring shank” nails.
  • The next layer seals the roof deck with a membrane or special tape.
  • Properly sealed storm-resistant shingles form the top layer.

Installing flashing anywhere the roof changes slope also helps.

SEE ALSO FROM KIPLINGER: Your Tree, Your Neighbor's Property: Whose Insurance Pays?

2 of 4

Roof Retrofits

FEMA Photo/Mark Wolfe via Wikimedia

Even if you aren’t replacing the roof, you can do a lot from the inside. Roof straps, metal connectors or retrofit clips are among the options. “That can provide extraordinary uplift protection,” says Leslie Chapman-Henderson, CEO of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes.

There are also techniques involving nailing, gluing, and using spray-foam insulation that can help ensure your roof stays put. And pay special attention to your eaves and gables. This is where wind pressures (from the outside) can stress your roof the most.

SEE ALSO FROM KIPLINGER: What You Need to Know About Windstorm Coverage

3 of 4

Windows and Doors

Getty Images

As we mentioned, the greatest danger to your structure is wind getting in a window or door and turning your house into a balloon. Keeping the roof connected depends on the horizontal openings remaining intact — and that’s a challenge, given the debris that can be flying around in hurricane-force winds.

You can protect your windows with storm shutters, 5/8-inch plywood or thick plastic shields. And don't think you can just run around to the hardware store and buy a bunch of plywood last minute. If you go the route of temporary covers rather than permanent storm shutters, make sure you’ve sized them and have secure mountings ahead of time. Plus, if they’re plywood, you’ll need to find a place to store them where they won’t warp. Or you can install replacement windows with impact-resistant glass. “Every opening on your home needs to have one of those levels of protection,” says Scott Koedel, CEO of Don Meyler Inspections, which conducts windstorm mitigation inspections in Florida.

Look for wind-rated and impact-tested doors, and be particularly careful with your garage door, which is often the largest and weakest opening. Even if you aren’t replacing the garage door, you can buy a kit to brace it. Also check all exterior door frames to make sure the screws are tight and the deadbolt reaches all the way into the door frame.

SEE ALSO FROM KIPLINGER: 10 Things to Know About Hurricane Insurance Claims

4 of 4

Paying for All This

Getty Images

In Florida, where discounts are mandated for certain improvements, home insurance premiums can vary by 400% depending on the windstorm protections, says Chris Heidrick, an independent insurance agent in Sanibel, Fla. He recommends paying about $100 to $250 for a windstorm inspection to find out what you can do to protect your home and get a discount, even if you don’t live near the coast.

In other states, the discounts vary by insurer. Chubb clients in some areas can save up to 50% off their home insurance premiums by installing wind-mitigation features, such as storm shutters, wind-resistant roofs and tie-downs, and a permanent home generator. In some states, USAA, Farmers and Travelers offer discounts for homes that meet the IBHS Fortified standards or for adding certain features, such as storm shutters.

Some states have grant programs to help cover wind-mitigation costs. For example, Alabama and South Carolina provide grants to strengthen roofs in some areas. Ask your state insurance department or emergency management agency about programs.

SEE ALSO FROM KIPLINGER: Getting Affordable Flood Insurance

  • real estate
  • home improvement
Share via EmailShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

Recommended

Smart Ways to Cut Your Utility Bills
Tax Breaks

Smart Ways to Cut Your Utility Bills

Tax breaks and potentially lower home energy costs make these green projects worth a look.
February 24, 2021
Planning to Sell Your Home in Retirement? Downsize Costs Along With Space
Budgeting

Planning to Sell Your Home in Retirement? Downsize Costs Along With Space

In this hot real estate market, consider the costs of buying and selling a house along with the expenses associated with your new digs.
November 13, 2020
Retirees, Make the Most of Your Home Equity
Budgeting

Retirees, Make the Most of Your Home Equity

A home equity loan or home equity line of credit may be perfect for your retirement finances. But don't delay; a fee increase is coming.
November 2, 2020
The Five Top Consumer Complaints
Smart Buying

The Five Top Consumer Complaints

Here are the top five complaints from a survey of state and local agencies from 19 states.
August 27, 2020

Most Popular

Senate Passes $3,000 Child Tax Credit for 2021
Coronavirus and Your Money

Senate Passes $3,000 Child Tax Credit for 2021

The provision would temporarily increase the child tax credit to $3,000 or $3,600 per child for most families and have 50% of it paid in advance by th…
March 6, 2021
Senate Passes Bill with More "Targeted" Stimulus Payments
Coronavirus and Your Money

Senate Passes Bill with More "Targeted" Stimulus Payments

The Senate finally passes the $1.9 trillion COVID-relief bill. But fewer people will get a third stimulus check under the Senate version than under th…
March 6, 2021
Your Guide to Roth Conversions
Special Report
Tax Breaks

Your Guide to Roth Conversions

A Kiplinger Special Report
February 25, 2021
  • Customer Service
  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us (PDF)
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Kiplinger Careers
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Preferences

Subscribe to Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Save up to 76%Subscribe to Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Dennis Publishing Ltd logoLink to Dennis Publishing Ltd website
Do Not Sell My Information

The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc., is part of the Dennis Publishing Ltd. Group.
All Contents © 2021, The Kiplinger Washington Editors

Follow us on InstagramFollow us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterConnect on LinkedInConnect on YouTube