Here in Perth, we are lucky to be blessed with beautiful weather for most of the year. But with storm season now well and truly here, it pays to be prepared to minimize the chance of any major damage to your home, your pets or yourself.
Here’s our top ten tips to help prepare you and your home for those occasional nasty winter storms:
1) If you have any loose objects around your home, such as outdoor furniture, trampolines or other play equipment, either store it away or weigh it down to reduce the risk of it being picked up by strong winds.
2) Ensure trees that are near power lines are trimmed back by a professional tree lopper. Trim the branches of other trees so that they cannot break off and damage your home or car in any way.
3) Put together an emergency kit including items such as torches, spare batteries, a first aid kit, any required medicines and a battery-operated radio.
4) Check your roof and eaves to make sure there are no loose tiles or other material that may be picked up by strong winds. A roof maintenance company can help you with this.
5) Make sure your gutters are clear of any leaves or other debris. This helps minimize the chance of any overflow during heavy rains.
6) Severe storms can be scary for humans – so imagine how your pets feel! Make sure they are either brought inside during storms or have a sufficient undercover area for shelter.
7) If there is lightning, unplug electrical appliances and avoid using landline telephone lines. Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged well in advance of the storm hitting.
8) Where possible, move your car so that it is undercover to avoid any damage from falling branches or hail.
9) Make sure your home and contents insurance policy is up to date, ensuring that outdoor fixtures such as pools, sheds and gazebos are covered.
10) In the unfortunate event that you find yourself stuck outside during a storm, make sure you shelter away from trees, power lines, metal objects, stormwater drains, rivers and streams.
