AVOIDING STORM DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME Storms can be severe and leave a lasting impact on our communities, but there are ways to prepare your home to minimize the risk of damage when severe weather strikes. In some cases, taking these steps can mean the difference between costly home repairs and no storm damage to your home at all. Stay Informed Monitor weather and storm warnings so you can prepare in advanced. • The National Weather Service provides many updates including weather forecasts, current conditions, flood warnings, and more: www.weather.gov/pqr/ • In addition to local alerts, Lincoln Alerts can send automated messages and warnings directly from the National Weather Service (NWS) if you update your settings under “Alert Subscriptions”. Users can choose to receive NWS automated messages for high wind warnings, floods, winter weather, and more. Users can also choose the times they would like to receive messages or set “quiet hours” for these specific NWS Alert Subscriptions: member.everbridge.net/892807736721689/login Prepare Before Inclement Weather • Remove dead wood. Trimming your trees help prevent falling branches in heavy wind or other severe weather. For particularly tall trees, experts can do the trimming for you and can tell you when trees are at risk of being blown over in a storm so they can be removed. • Secure outdoor items. Loose items like grills, picnic tables, and lawn furniture should be brought inside to avoid becoming projectiles in high winds. Decorations, even those securely attached to the home, could cause damage or be destroyed in the storm. • Deal with drainage problems. Clean gutters from fallen leaves and other debris. Address other drainage problems around your home, including areas where water can drain onto the foundation and cause damage. Landscaping professionals can help you identify the problems and find solutions so that you don’t have issues when the storms come. • Sandbag before flooding occurs. Sandbags may be used to help redirect water away from structures. One of the keys to successful sandbag use is having them in place before flooding begins. There are three sandbagging stations in Lincoln County, one at North Lincoln Fire and Rescue St. Clair Station in Lincoln City, one at the Public Works parking lot in Newport, and one at Yachats Rural Fire Protection District in Yachats. Find sandbagging and flooding resources on our website: www.co.lincoln.or.us/757/Hazards-Flooding-River-Levels • Inspect the roof periodically. If an inspection shows possible leaks, getting them fixed right away will help protect your home from damage. A brand-new roof should withstand most weather, but if your roof is more than 5 years old, it should be checked for loose shingles, nails, and sheathing. Loose shingles, nails, and sheathing can cause chunks of roofing to be dislodged or create openings for rain and ice to penetrate. Roofs that are over 15 years old risk sudden deterioration or failure in storms even if no problems are apparent. • Consider impact-rated windows. You may be able to protect your windows from damage by installing hurricane shutters, or by just boarding up the windows if a severe storm is imminent. New windows are likely to be more airtight and impervious to leaks and damage than older windows. In areas where severe weather is frequent, such as coastal areas, consider windows that are specially made to withstand storm-level air pressure and impact.