HURRICANE PREPARDNESS

As we reach mid-hurricane season, it is important to remember it is never too late to make sure your outdoor space is prepared. Preparing your yard for a hurricane is an important step in protecting your property and ensuring your safety. Beyond staying informed, having an evacuation plan, and making sure you have enough supplies we have compiled a few tips to make sure your house is ready for the rest of the season. 

Make sure your trees and shrubs are trimmed back. A dead or weak branch can easily break in the wind and be sent flying. It is also important to have a clear and clean drainage plan for your home. This means cleaning out gutters and downspouts, checking your drainage basins and culverts, and even creating a temporary drainage plan if necessary. You can use sandbags or trenching to create temporary solutions if heavy rainfall is suspected. The goal is to arrange things to keep water away from your house. In this regard, it is also a good time to make sure none of your in-place drainage is clogged to ensure it will perform as it is intended to. 

To prevent even more water, make sure to turn off your irrigation system. Do this a few days before the storm is supposed to hit. Your yard will get plenty of rain during the storm and you don’t want to overwater it. Overwatering can lead to soil and plant diseases. 

Remember that hurricane preparedness is crucial for your safety and the protection of your property. It's always better to be over-prepared than underprepared when facing a hurricane. And if you need any help before or after a storm, Thorpe Landscapes provides services to pick up debris and clean up your outdoor space!