How to Protect Your Property

  • Make a list of items to bring inside in the event of a storm. Having a list will help you remember things that may be broken or blown away in strong winds.
  • Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed. Make trees more wind resistant by removing diseased or damaged limbs, then strategically remove branches so that wind can blow through. Strong winds frequently break weak limbs and hurl them at great speed, causing damage or injury when they hit.
  • Remove any debris or loose items in your yard. Branches and firewood may become missiles in strong winds.
  • Consider installing permanent shutters to cover windows. Shutters can be closed quickly and provide the safest protection for windows.
  • Install lightning rods. Lightning rods will carry the electrical charge of lightning bolts safely to the ground, greatly reducing the chance of a lightning-induced fire.
  • Insure crops against financial loss from storm damage through the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If applicable, it is recommended you obtain separate specific insurance to cover your crops. Losses are not covered through usual insurance policies. Each year severe storms cause millions of dollars in crop damage. Hail, in particular, has been known to wipe out entire fields.