Your home is not only a shelter; it is the place that ensures the secure and peaceful living for your loving family members. Natural disasters, however, can strike at any moment, causing immense destruction and financial loss.
Securing your home in advance is the best means of minimising such risks and protecting the valuable lives of people there. From embracing structural enhancements to ensuring you have the right home insurance coverage, this is the primary step you can undertake to prevent facing such undesired incidents.
In case you are confused about where to start, we've got the most important tips that will assist you.
Keep reading!
Tips to Protect Your House from Natural Disasters
Natural disasters are unpredictable, but the right precautions can help you minimise damage to your home and ensure your family’s safety. Here are some smart and practical tips to keep in mind:
Strengthen Your Home's Structure
Ensure the foundation, roof, and walls of your house are sufficiently strong to resist extreme events such as storms, floods, and earthquakes. Adopt safer construction methods, such as soil testing prior to construction, strengthened roofs, and fire-resistant materials.
Enhance Flood Defence
If you reside in a flood-prone area, consider taking additional measures, such as building higher boundary walls, caulking cracks, and installing check valves on sewer pipes, to prevent floodwater from entering. Sandbags at doors and openings also give an instant, effective defence against water entry.
Secure the Roof, Windows, and Doors
The roof is the weakest spot of a house in harsh winds or heavy rains. Secure it with hurricane straps and check it for loose shingles. Fit impact-resistant windows and storm shutters to stop glass from shattering when debris strikes them.
Protect Electrical and Electronic Systems
Keep a close eye on the electrical appliances in your house, such as televisions, air conditioners, refrigerators, microwaves, and geysers.
During any anticipated natural calamity, such as a cyclone, thunderstorm, or hurricane, unplug appliances and electronic items. Consider investing in surge protectors or backup power systems to prevent damage caused by lightning and power outages.
Maintain Outdoor Spaces
Clearing gutters and drains of leaves and debris is necessary to secure your house against water damage. Clean drains keep water from accumulating around your house and minimise the likelihood of flooding, sewer overflows, and foundation damage.
This safeguards your foundation, walls, and basement against long-term issues. Regular maintenance also prevents bacteria, mould, and pests from growing in stagnant water. In the long term, it increases your plumbing system's lifespan and spares you from expensive emergency repairs.
Defend Against Wildfires
Create a fire-safe area around your home by clearing away dry leaves, branches, and other combustible materials. Keep highly flammable plants, like eucalyptus, rosemary, pampas grass, dry grasses, and sagebrush, away from your home.
Instead, substitute those flammable plants with fire-resistant plants, such as lavender, maples, and oaks. These plants typically contain high moisture, supple leaves, or a less volatile oil content, which makes them less likely to ignite. For added protection, consider installing fireproof roofing or siding. Having readily available fire extinguishers is also crucial in emergency situations.
Protect Your Home from Winter Storms
Winter storms are quite common in frigid regions or hill stations. These can cause roof loss, pipe bursts, and fallen trees, particularly in regions not constructed to withstand severe cold.
To protect your home, insulate the walls and attic to retain heat, and cover exposed water pipes to prevent them from freezing. Also, remove hanging branches from trees near your house that may fall due to heavy snowfall. These easy measures help mitigate the danger of winter damage and make your home more secure during winter storms.
Practise Disaster Preparedness
Have a family emergency plan with escape routes, meeting spots, and a communication plan. Prepare an emergency kit with essential supplies, including food, water, first-aid kits, extra batteries, cash, and vital documents, stored in waterproof containers.
Guard Valuables and Documents
Keep important documents, collectables, and valuables in fireproof, waterproof safes. Consider digitising key documents and storing backups in secure cloud storage for easier recovery in case there is any mishap.
Stay Informed and Avoid Risks
Monitor disaster warnings and adhere to safety protocols. Avoid human-influenced causes such as clogged drains, improper waste disposal, or constructing buildings close to slope areas that can heighten vulnerability during natural disasters.
Invest in Home Insurance
Always make sure that you have a reliable home insurance policy that insures both the house structure and its items against natural disasters. Check your coverage periodically to ensure that floods, earthquakes, fires, or storms are covered, and modify it accordingly.
Check for Maintenance Periodically
Periodic maintenance is equally vital to insurance. Repair cracks, replace roof tiles that are damaged, and unclog drainage systems in a timely manner. Keep in mind, insurance replaces sudden loss, but not loss caused by negligence or improper maintenance.
Major Natural Disasters Which May Damage/Destroy Houses
Here are the main calamities that are likely to destroy homes in large numbers:
Hurricanes
Cyclones
Tornadoes
Earthquake
Flood
Wildfires
Droughts
Blizzards
Snowstorms
Tsunamis
Volcanic eruptions
What Natural Calamities are Covered by Home Insurance?
Buying home insurance plans enables you to get coverage for both the physical house and its belongings, based on the type of coverage you opt for. It protects your property from a vast array of natural as well as man-made calamities that can lead to massive financial loss. The basic coverage usually covers:
Fire and lightning
Storms, cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes
Landslides and rockslides
Explosion or aircraft crash
Earthquakes
Water tank explosion, pipe burst, or sprinkler leak
Bushfires
Damage or loss of property as a result of missile test activities
Apart from this, certain insurers provide add-on cover, like the alternative accommodation benefit—this covers the expense of residing in a temporary dwelling while your home is rebuilt or repaired. This coverage is typically offered only when you insure the structure of your home.
What Natural Calamities are Excluded from Home Insurance?
Even though home insurance offers extensive coverage, it's important to understand what the policy does not cover. This avoids surprises while making claims. Typical exclusions are:
Houses over 30 years old that have not been renovated
Damage to properties purchased illegally
Damage to homes that have been vacant for over 30 days
Wear and tear due to normal use
Manufacturing faults in electrical appliances
Claims where critical details were concealed at the time of policy purchase
Securing your home against natural calamities is a matter of awareness, preparation, and positivity. From bracing buildings and developing emergency plans to insuring valuable assets and leveraging technology, each step lessens the risks.
Above all, having good home insurance provides ample financial protection and peace of mind when calamities strike unexpectedly. Even though natural calamities cannot be prevented, you can definitely remain prepared and safeguard your home and family members by following the above tips.