How to Mitigate Damage in the Event of a Hurricane

Okay folks, this is me with my combo insurance/farmer hat on. We're gonna get hit and you can mitigate the potential damage.

Trees that are pooly pruned or are overweight on one side (like the trees you see along driveways and roads that have been repeatedly cut back on the road side) are at severe risk when a large amount of rain falls in combination with high winds.

If you have a leaner, or a partly dead tree near your house or driveway, prudence dictates evenling up the load so it has a chance of riding out the predicted 50-plus mph winds we are expecting.

Lawn and garden furniture and features that are not anchored or permanent should be stowed or covered.

Don't park near any trees this weekend, and if possible garage your car.

Test generators and sump pumps, and store away some drinking water.

Heavy vegetable plantings such as the tomatoes I showed on my last article need to be braced from several directions if you don't want to find the whole row blown over.

I know I'll be working into the night on Saturday trying to implement some sort of support,especially since they are so heavily laden. Tomato and other vegetable and flower trellis are not meant to withstand that kind of weather and painful experiance has taught me that it's well worth the trouble to protect them.

Get your furniture and stored items out of the basement level if you have traditional water issues, but at the very least get them off the floor and onto something that will raise them above the water.

Check gutters and downspouts for obstuctions so the water goes where you want it to, and remember that once the ground is saturated low areas will begin to pool.

Good luck, and I'll be in the tomatoes waiting for you  :)