July 13, 2019 Categories: Storm Damage

Storm Damage: Large Hail, Broken Windows

Last week Northern Colorado was hit with severe thunderstorms. Many towns received golf ball sized hail including Fort Collins, Windsor, Loveland, Frederick, Longmont, and Greeley. Mother Nature has the capacity to do some serious damage to windows, siding, gutters, and landscaping when large hail hits. Other states such as New Mexico and Wyoming are often hit with severe thunderstorms as well.

No matter where you live, it’s important to understand the types of hazardous weather that could affect you and your family and know how to prepare for severe weather emergencies.

Here are 5 tips on preparing for severe weather:

Be aware. Public safety officials use several systems to make sure you know what natural disasters may impact you: NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations that broadcast continuous weather information from your nearest National Weather Service office. Official warnings, watches, forecasts, and other hazard information is broadcasted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, giving you real-time information about weather that could impact your community. Be sure to have a battery-operated radio on hand in case of a power outage. Also pay attention to Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) that you may receive on your phone and the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which broadcasts via radio and television.
Make an emergency plan. Because your family may not be together when hazardous weather strikes, it’s important to have a plan and know how to contact one another and reconnect if separated. Talk about the safest places in your home for specific types of hazards (such as an interior basement room for a tornado) and discuss an emergency meeting place with your family in case of disaster strikes when you’re not at home. Keep emergency contact information in a safe place, such as in your wallet or saved on your phone.
Keep an emergency supply. Create an emergency kit with enough nonperishable food and water to last your family for three days and supplies like blankets, flashlights, a first-aid kit, and a battery-operated radio. Keep the supplies in a safe, accessible place in your house. It’s also wise to keep a stash of emergency supplies in your car.
Secure outdoor items. Items like garbage cans, patio furniture, and lawn decorations should be tied down or brought inside if possible before strong winds arrive. These outdoor items are often light enough to be picked up by the powerful wind and can damage people, cars, or the exterior of your house during a storm.
Board up windows. If you have enough advanced warning, you can board up the windows of your house as a preventative measure before it’s hit by a storm. Plywood that is at least 5/8-inch thick can help protect your windows from flying debris and the potential of broken glass. If you have experienced broken windows due to large hail, we can help board up your windows to protect your property from further damage.

We can help board up your property.

If your house is impacted by severe weather and sustains broken windows or glass doors, it’s important to cover the openings right away until you’re able to have the broken windows or doors replaced. Emergency board-up service companies can secure the exposed areas of your home with plywood soon after a disaster strikes. This helps prevent additional damage from weather, such as continued rain after a large storm, it discourages potential vandals and thieves from targeting your home and keeps animals out.

We work with your insurance.

Many homeowners insurance policies also require you to pursue board up services following a natural disaster. Eligibility for coverage is increased if you can prove that the damage your home sustained occurred during the storm, and not in the days following because your broken windows were boarded up and protected against additional damage.

Professional Board-Up Service

After damage from a natural disaster, it’s extremely important to respond quickly. Utilizing a professional emergency board-up service company such as Water Extraction Experts will ensure you don’t lose any time in securing your home and valuables and, because they’re the pros, will keep your window frames and exteriors safe from damage in the boarding-up process.