1) Clear Roof and Clean Gutters
If leaves and limbs have accumulated on your roof, it can cause more problems than just aesthetics. When heavy rain falls from tropical systems, debris on your roof will lead to poor drainage and could cause damage to your roof. Furthermore, it will trap moisture and could cause organic growth to develop. Contact Mobile Magic for professional roof and awning cleaning.
2) Remove Dead Trees and Limbs
Dead trees and limbs are dangerous during tropical systems with gusty winds. They can fall and damage your home, vehicle, or take down power lines and leave your home in the dark. Have large dead limbs and trees removed before the storm strikes.
3) Prepare an Emergency Kit
Unlike severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, the remnants of powerful tropical systems provide Asheville residents with several days of notice before they arrive. This gives homeowners and residents time to prepare their emergency power outage kits, which should include:
- First aid supplies like bandages, hydrogen peroxide, gauze, etc.
- Flashlights with extra batteries.
- Non-perishable food items
- Ice and freshwater
- Camping gear
- Games and things for kids to do when there is no electricity.
Fortunately, our area rarely receives enough damage to keep the power off for long; however, remote areas and ridgetops can still experience prolonged periods without electricity.
4) Practice Weather-Awareness
Weather-awareness is key to keeping your family and property safe during tropical systems. The remnants of hurricanes and tropical storms can impact our area of 24-hours or longer; however, conditions will not remain consistent. One minute you may see sunshine peeking through the clouds, the next it feels like you’re in a hurricane. Keys to maintaining weather-awareness include:
- Keep a battery-powered NOAA weather radio to provide alerts even if the power goes out.
- Follow local meteorologists on television and social media. Brad Panovich, Jason Boyer, and Chris Justus have years of experience and know our area.
- Look beyond your phone’s weather app. The details in your app are not as accurate and up-to-the-minute as your local meteorologists.
- Know whether you live or are traveling through a flood-prone area.
- Check the weather before you go outside.
- Pay attention to road closures
- Never attempt to drive through standing or flowing waters. It is always better to turn around and find an alternate route.
In our area, rain and wind intensity can be enhanced by terrain. Rain and flash flooding is the primary threat to life and property in Asheville and western North Carolina. Pay close attention to Flash Flood watches and warnings.
5) Pressure Wash Outdoor Surfaces
Prolonged periods of heavy rainfall will only make your outdoor fortunate, deck, driveway, and siding grimier and dirtier. As we experienced last year, it is possible to have multiple rounds of tropical weather, contributing further to the dirt and debris building up on your outside surfaces. Before the storms strike, contact Mobile Magic Pressure Washing in Asheville to have your home’s siding, porches, patios, and surfaces professionally pressure washed.