When you think about cleaning up your yard, with regard to a hurricane, you most likely think about the work that needs to be done after the rain and wind has left town. Cleaning up your yard before a hurricane hits is one of the most important things you can do to keep your property safe during a storm.
The more work you do outside of your home before a hurricane, the less likely your property is to be damaged, and the less work you’ll have to do afterwards.
Here are a few things you can do to get ready for a hurricane or hurricane season:
- Prune your trees and bushes. Removing dead branches and fruit keeps them from becoming projectiles when the wind arrives. Doing this step in advance will give Polk County’s yard waste haulers time to pick up the debris. But do not do this work when storms are forecast. Waste and Recycling may not be able to get it off the ground.
- Clean your gutters. If your gutters are not clear of debris, rain won’t be able to get through. This can lead to a leaky roof.
- Make room in your home or in a storage space for all your outdoor items, such as lawn chairs, trampolines, etc.
- Make sure that things that cannot be brought inside, i.e., sheds are anchored to the ground.
Doing this work ahead of time does more than just remove possible wind born objects from your yard. It also gives you more time to focus on other last-minute preparations.