When you’re trying to learn more about potential problems that can occur in your home, one thing you definitely don’t want to miss is the weather. Mother nature can absolutely demolish a home in a very short amount of time, but many people don’t actually know much about these impacts. Weather can have all sorts of significant impacts on a home, which is why you need to know how to protect yourself. Here’s what you need to know about weather damage in your home.
Mother Nature vs. Your Home Created By: Foundation Recovery Systems
The 10 Most Serious American Weather Damage Events Since 2010
Looking at the past is one way you might be able to understand a little bit more about how serious weather damage is. When you look into severe weather damage events that have happened in the past, you’ll quickly notice how serious these events may be. Here are the 10 most serious weather damage events in the United States since 2010, organized by monetary damage.
- Hurricane Harvey – 2017 – $131 Billion
- Hurricane Maria – 2017 – $95 Billion
- Hurricane Sandy – 2012 – $74 Billion
- Hurricane Irma – 2017 – $52 Billion
- Heat Wave and Drought – 2020 – $32 Billion
- Hurricane Michael – 2018 – $26 Billion
- Western Wildfires – 2018 – $25 Billion
- Hurricane Florence – 2018 – $25 Billion
- Western Wildfires – 2017 – $19 Billion
- Hurricane Irene – 2011 – $16 Billion
All of the 10 most serious weather damage events of the last 10 years in the United States were either hurricanes or heat events. Plus, all but two were in the last three years. It’s clear that serious weather damage events are on the rise, making it even more important that you handle weather damage events early on.
The Most Common Weather Damage Impacting American Homeowners
What are the most common reasons to experience weather damage in your home? There are many elements of natural disasters that tend to cause serious problems to a home. Here are the top reasons that you might experience weather damage of some kind.
- Drought – Landscaping Damage and Forest Fires
- Lightning – Fire and Electrical Damage
- Water – Flood Damage Inside and Outside
- High Winds – Structural and Foundational Damage
- Hail – Roof and Window Damage
Winds specifically tend to wreak a lot of havoc on homes. Approximately 24% of homeowner’s insurance claims come from damage that happened because of wind. Additionally, more weather claims come in the spring than in any other season, often because of the higher levels of wind that occur in the spring.
How to Protect Your Home From Extreme Weather Conditions
These weather conditions can definitely look pretty scary, especially on first glance. What do you need to do if you want to avoid weather problems throughout your home? Here are a few of the things you can do to keep your home a little safer from the weather.
- Sump Pump With Backup Batteries
- Windproofing Through Roof and Window Upgrades
- Hurricane Shutters
- Fire-Resistant Planting
- Flood Prevention With Retrofitting and Waterproofing
- Home Maintenance
- Winterproofing With Proper Insulation
- HVAC Servicing and Leaky Pipe Fixing
- Smoke Detector Testing and Maintenance
- Foundation Inspections
You may be able to do some of these on your own — smoke detector testing, for example, is something you can do on your own. However, for some things, you’ll want to get a foundation, basement, or crawl space repair expert to help.
Conclusion
Overall, it’s a good idea to pay attention to weather conditions when you’re trying to make your home as well-functioning and sturdy as you can. Weather conditions are one of the things that can harm your home forever, regardless of when they pop up. Pay attention to these weather conditions and address them before they even happen to ensure that you’re going to weather the storm every time.
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