It’s important to prepare both your roof and your gutters for Florida’s rainy season. During this time, you can expect to receive 26.8 inches of rain, which accounts for about 70% of the year’s rainfall.
Preparing for Wind and Floods
Florida’s landscape makes flooding a major issue, especially for those living in southern Florida. This is why it’s so important for you to always keep up-to-date on your home’s flood and wind insurance policies, even if your home isn’t located in a flood zone area. In fact, since 1978 many of the low-risk zones in Florida have become susceptible to flooding. They’ve incurred about 20% – 25% of all flood insurance claims in recent years thanks to severe rainstorms, hurricanes, and water that’s become backed up because of drainage systems that are either inadequate or overloaded and dams or levees that have failed. Bear in mind that most of the time when there’s a severe downpour or a hurricane, there will also be severe damage from its accompanying wind.
There are some things you may have overlooked in your preparation for the rainy season. While your roof and gutters are important, here are some other important things that you should also remember:
- Make sure you either move your valuable possessions to the upper level of your home or make it easy to do so when a flood alert is issued. You should also have pictures of these possessions for insurance purposes.
- Always maintain at least three days of emergency supplies including a hand-crank radio, extra batteries, a first aid kit with all your family’s medications, flashlights, bottled water, food that doesn’t require any cooking or refrigeration, and a can opener and utensils to use with your food.
- Anchor down any outside fuel tanks, as well as any other item that might float away (e.g. children’s play gyms).
- When you live in an area that typically floods during the rainy season you should install a sump pump with a backup source of power.
- You may want to think about moving any furniture or appliances from the basement or first level of your home to an upper level. They should also be on separate electrical circuits so it’s easy for you to shut them off before anyone is shocked or injured if any flood does occur.
- Always have an evacuation plan ready with pre-packed bags for each of your family members and pets so you don’t waste invaluable time escaping from your home if necessary.
- Purchase all-season tires for all your vehicles so you have better traction on wet roads and won’t be sent hydroplaning.
- Make sure there isn’t any debris in your gutters, floor drains, yard, or on your roof. This way water can continue to flow freely away from your home, limiting the amount of damage that’s done to it.
- Keep your street’s drainage grates free of debris so that they drain properly and can continue to protect your home throughout the rainy season.
- Trees should have all their dead branches removed and they should also be cut back away from your windows, doors, roof, and gutters.
Have Your Roof and Gutters Professionally Inspected
Before the start of the rainy season, you should call on the professionals at Done Rite Roofing, Inc to come out and inspect your roof and gutters. This will let you know if there are any potential problems that may arise throughout this season. Knowing about these things ahead of time will save you thousands of dollars in comparison to the money you may have to spend after a storm rolls through so give them a call today.
Picture Credit: sandid