How to Storm-Proof Your House in New Orleans, LA
New Orleans is one of the most popular cities on Earth for partying and having fun, but what can you expect when the party ends? Whether you’re moving here for work or to be closer to family, it can be scary once hurricane season starts.
If you want to make your home strong enough to weather any storm, these are the top tips to follow.
Understand Shutters Have Purpose
Shutters are more than just a piece of American charm to let your home look more rustic! Good shutters can stop rain, debris, and strong winds from hitting directly against your windows. This is incredibly useful in a storm as strong as a hurricane or tornado. Make sure your shutters work and that you can latch them down.
Have An Escape From Your Attic
Although most New Orleans houses for sale will never face flooding, this is an area where countless properties end up underwater almost every other year. A lot of people make the mistake of going up inside their homes to get away from the water, but if your roof or attic doesn’t have a clear escape area: you could find yourself trapped.
Consider building in a hatch or emergency vent near the top of your attic, which you can open to get out of in a last-ditch effort. Most people won’t have to deal with this or won’t need to put it to use, but having it there will allow you to stay as safe as possible if you’re stuck in your home.
Remember to Add Drainage
Drainage is one of the most important things you can add to your home. This could be as simple as building a rain garden, which collects rainwater for plants and lets them pull it deep into the soil, so it’s not above water. You could also dig drainage ditches and put guards over them, so these don’t get full of leaves and debris as time passes.
Drainage will protect your property the best and give you the most tactical control over what happens to your home.
Always Be Prepared for the Worst
Although there’s no guarantee that a storm will hit New Orleans every year or that the updated levis will fail, it’s still important to prepare yourself and your family. During the hurricane season, have an emergency evacuation pack somewhere accessible that will contain important documents and belongings that you don’t use often but will want to protect.
If you live near a river or reservoir, you can ask the city for the local flood maps before you buy to make sure you’ll be in a lower-risk area. If the town or government tells you to evacuate, you need to do it as soon as possible.
Living in New Orleans Doesn’t Mean Your Home Will Flood
Although there’s a lot of fear because of hurricane Katrina, and the recent wild years of storms, there’s no guarantee that your home will flood. Build a life for yourself here that you can be proud of, and fortify your home so it’ll stand the test of time.
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