Your home is vulnerable to extreme weather. Here we show you how to protect it.

Forest fires in Los Angeles. Tornados in the south and the west medium. Floods in North Carolina. From coast to coast, a wave of extreme climatic events during the past year has destroyed houses and lives rent. As the planet warms up, it is essential that housing buyers consider climate vulnerability.

If you already have a house, how can you protect it better from the next meteorological disaster?

A good place to start is to verify its insurance policy (risk insurance is often required when closing in a house). It is also possible that you want to register all articles in your home, since most insurance companies require insured To send complete lists of everything lost in a disaster.

Here are some more tips on how to defend your home against three different climatic threats.

Flood

To protect and better prepare your home for a flood, the Federal Emergency Management Agency recommended Buy flood insurance, which is a good idea even if it does not live in an flood zone (and even if it is a tenant). But there are other ways to take steps to take.

If a strong storm is in the forecast, leave and make sure that sidewalks, curbs and storm drains are free of rubble and leaves. Then, make some checks around the house: Water accumulates around the base or windows? Are gutters or downspout? If you see problems, call a professional.

If your basement is prone to floods, consider facility French drains, a sink pump and an ejector pump, all of which can prevent water from breaking the basement’s floor. Installing a water alarm could also be useful.

Fema also suggests that the owners “raise and anchor” critical services, such as electrical panels, propane tanks, plugs, wiring, appliances and heating systems. For example, if your water heater is in the basement, replace it with one without tank mounted on the wall or move it to the first floor. Raising or moving some furniture and value objects to a higher floor or attic is also a good idea. You can even raise All your home.

If you plan to renew, consider installing ceramic tile floors instead of wood and carpet, cement board instead of plaster panels and flooding ventilations.

Wind

The increase in hurricanes, tornadoes and severe thunderstorms means not only more water, but more wind. Even if your home is strong enough to defend against a wind storm, trees and objects around you may not be.

Let’s start inside. Storm blinds, storm -proof glass and breakage resistant film can protect windows from flying waste. If you have an attached garage, you can reinforce it by strengthening the wheel clues. And if you have double entrance doors, make sure with a high resistance lock. FEMA also suggests building a Safe room To protect yourself.

Make sure everything that lives outside (fencing, sheds, garbage boats, patio furniture, gutters and downspouts) is insured and will not become a projectile. That includes landscaping: rock and gravel materials can cry wood and vinyl coating. Think of mulch or dirt in place.

The roof is often the first thing that should go in a fierce wind. FEMA recommends strengthening it by re -placing the loose tiles and installing ceiling fleets, metal connectors that strengthen the connection between the ceiling and the walls.

Finally, strong winds can knock down dead trees and send branches flying. Contact an arborist or landscape specialist to eliminate damaged or dead trees of your property, and consider cutting large trees that are close enough to land in your home.

Fire

According to the National Fire Protection Association, Small flames and embers in the air They are often the culprits when the houses are damaged or destroyed in forest fires. Flying embers can join the shelves and eaves of your roof, so consider installing non -combustible roof covers, replacing loose tiles and installing the metal mesh exam under the eaves to stop passing the embers.

The “immediate area” around your home, anything inside the five feet outside, is the most important to address, according to the United States Fire Administration. Make sure the roof and gutters are free of dead leaves, debris and pine needles, and move anything flammable away from the walls, such as mulch, leaves and firewood. Apart from the roof, you may want replace Its fences or terraces with non -flammable materials, such as metal or mosaic.

To advance, FEMA suggests installing some external sprinklers that have dedicated energy sources, in case the hydrants do not work. The embers can also enter their home through the vents, so consider installing fire -resistant vents or covering them with metal mesh.

Kaysen Round and Josh Ocampo Contributed reports.