5 steps.
1. Create a Family Disaster Plan
Gather the family to discuss escape routes and evacuation shelters. Have a plan for where to meet in case of an emergency. Collect insurance records and keep them in a safe, handy place. Make sure to plan for family members’ special needs and for your pets’ safety. Many shelters cannot accommodate pets, so in case of an evacuation, enclose animals in a windowless room or closet, with food and water.
The Hawaiian electric companies offer tips for planning and preparation in their Handbook for Emergency Preparedness. Read more at
www.heco.com.
2. Make a Hurricane Kit
Collect supplies and keep them in a safe, dry place. Helpful equipment could be a generator, portable battery- or hand-powered radio, flashlights and batteries, and a manual can opener. A camp stove with the right fuel is also a good idea.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends storing a five-day supply of nonperishable food. Grab a variety of canned goods, especially foods that need little to no preparation. Don’t forget pet food!
FEMA also advises stocking up on water. They estimate that a person will need about two quarts a day for drinking, washing and cooking.
For more information, check out FEMA’s Web site at
www.fema.org.
3. Electrical Safety
One of the biggest, most immediate consequences of a hurricane may be a power outage. Electrical generators are a good standby.
Honolulu’s Mr. Electric suggests a few simple guidelines to keep things running until the power is restored. First, turn off your home’s main power supply. Be careful not to overload the generator. Use power sparingly until the electrical system is back up. Run the generator outside, away from windows, doors and vents to prevent exhaust fumes from entering your home. And, don’t overload extension cords.
Mr. Electric also suggests relying on battery-powered flashlights, instead of candles. Make sure appliances are dry before trying them again, and, if in doubt, just replace them. For more information on getting ready for hurricane season, contact Honolulu’s Mr. Electric at 521-7117.
4. Keep the Lid On
Since Hurricane Iniki, Gerald Peters of HPS Construction has outfitted Hawaii’s homes with the latest in storm protection. “On average, hurricane protection minimizes your chance of damage by 74 percent,” he says.
A home’s roof can be its first line of storm defense. Hurricane clips, or small metal pieces that reinforce the roof’s connection to the rafters, are quick and easy fixes. Adding 100 of these (one for each rafter on a standard home) would be like adding 40,000 pounds of weight to your roof. While most insurance companies ask homeowners to pay $10,000 in deductibles after a storm, the average cost for hurricane clips, $2,500, seems like a good investment, Peters notes. Clips are available for carports and lanai coverings, too.
A strong roof overhead can go a long way to assuage fears during hurricane season. Luckily, Met-Tile is ready. These metal, tilelike roofs are hurricane rated for winds up to 230 miles per hour, which may be the best rating available today. (Hurricane Iniki hit Kauai with 140 mile-per-hour winds; Met-Tile roofs took the beating virtually unscathed.)
5. Window & Door Protection
Protect windows and doors. “Every house needs glass protection,” Peters says. Flying debris and wind can break windows and knock down doors, letting the storm damage your home’s interior. But, it is the pressure change inside that can do the most damage by forcing your roof off of the home. While taped windows and plywood coverings are the old standbys, Peters’ solution is a lightweight, plastic panel for window coverings, an alternative to conventional plywood planks. Attachment mechanisms are installed into window and door frames, so homeowners can affix the panels to windows before the storm hits. These can be installed on the outside or inside of the window, making them perfect for high-rise condo owners. Beyond covering sliding doors with panels, Peters recommends strengthening the tracks. For homeowners lucky enough to have a garage, don’t forget to reinforce those door tracks as well.
HPS Construction is ready with door reinforcement kits and window-covering panels to get homes ready for hurricane season. Call Peters at 847-4400 to discuss your home’s needs.
While covering windows and doors with wood or plastic panels may be the standard in hurricane protection, two companies now offer glass options.
Pella Architectural Products features Hurricane Shield, an impact resistant glass for windows. A laminate layer, sandwiched between two pieces of glass, strengthens the windows against flying debris and can withstand an impact equivalent to a 2-feet by 4-feet wood board traveling at 50 feet per second, notes Pella representative, Jana Goo. It also offers added security from forced entry and energy efficiency. Contact Pella at 841-3200.
Another high-impact-resistance option comes from Screens & Things. This company offers Fleetwood Windows and Doors, which also employ the laminate-glass-sandwich method of protection in their aluminum options. The glass may still break, says company owner Mike Lum, but it won’t shatter. For the ultimate in sliding-glass-door defense, he recommends three steps: laminated glass, reinforced frames and extra-high tracks (called water legs) to keep rain from seeping in. Contact Lum and his crew at 836-1333.
