How to Protect Your Wappingers Home from Wind Damage

8/22/2023 (Permalink)

Taking protective steps ahead of time, even yearly, can help prevent significant structural damage in high winds.

Protecting Your Wappingers Falls Property from Damaging Winds

Do you know how to protect your property from damaging winds and why?

There are many concerns that come with severe storms, not just the heavy rain or even snow, but potentially damaging winds are always a threat to keep in mind. These winds, which can come with little to no notice, can be devastating and cause long-term structural impacts without thinking ahead and protecting your home or building.

When Wind Becomes Damaging

While many consider damaging winds to come from a tornado or hurricane, those are not the only times when they may come into play. Traditionally, damaging winds are considered those with wind speeds exceeding 50–60 mph. They can stem from a strong thunderstorm and are called “straight-line” winds, which cause damage much like tornadoes and, yet the damage is different. We have definitely experienced our fair share of straight-line storms and the damage they cause. We often feel like these are actual hurricanes due to the amount of rain and force of wind, and while these storms certainly cause huge amounts of problems, the Hudson Valley doesn’t often feel the wrath of a true hurricane.

These winds can also cause loose objects on your property to become dangerous projectiles. Cars parked outside, windows and the roof are especially vulnerable and can take the brunt of this damage, and if the damage is extensive, water damage can happen inside your home as well.

Protecting Your Property from Damaging Winds

There are several ways you can protect your property from damaging winds but keep the “Two R’s” in mind: Reinforce and Remove. A few of these are listed below:

• Have a professional reinforce your garage door.
• Make it a yearly or bi-yearly plan to have your roof checked and repaired as needed.
• Remove and/or anchor loose objects on your property, items such as trash cans, grills, small plastic pools, trampolines, outdoor furniture, and toys that could be moved or tossed by the wind.
• Hire a professional to remove or trim back large or dying trees and branches that could fall over onto your home or someone else’s.
• Have your gutters cleaned professionally once a year, especially if there are trees growing near them. Leaf collection or heavy snow can cause water intrusion if the gutters can’t drain properly.

Not all high wind circumstances come with advanced warning, but some of these action items could be the difference between damage and little-to-no damage.

Also, when building a new home or renovating an older home, be sure the windows, walls and doors are up to code for the weather in your area. Contact your local building department for their codes.

If your home ever be hit by damaging winds and resulting water damage, our highly trained storm damage restoration specialists at SERVPRO® of Western Dutchess County are here to help with the cleanup and restoration 24/7 with an emergency response. Call us at 845-831-3600. We’re here to help make it “Like it never even happened.”