Preparing for Hurricane Florence in Winston-Salem, NC

Hurricane season 2018 is set to include the worst, most-damaging storm in North Carolina’s history. Hurricane Florence, a storm that started quietly forming in the Atlantic on Monday morning has already reached Category 4 status. It is expected to hit South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.Before Florence, Hurricane Hugo, a Category 4 storm that hit the mainland in 1989, resulted in $9.47 billion in damages, according to the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Florence is expected to hit with winds of about 130 mph, potentially resulting in even more damages to the North Carolina area. As of Monday, Hurricane Florence is expected to hit the Winston-Salem area by Friday morning.

Preparing for Hurricane Florence

Residents of the Winston-Salem area might be unfamiliar with major storms—this is not surprising, as the latest hurricane to hit the area was Category 3 Hurricane Fran back in 1996. This is why it is of the utmost importance that, if you have time before evacuating or if your home is not located in the evacuation zone, you take certain steps to protect your property.

The Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration recommends that you anchor or remove potential windborne object. These include barbecue grills, trash cans, trampolines, playhouses, and yard furniture among others.

Another important measure you could take is protecting your windows and sliding doors with plywood shutters. If you don’t have storm shutters, you can buy ⅝-inch thick exterior-grade plywood at your local hardware store and cover your windows as best as you can.

If you have enough time, removing nearby trees is also a good idea. Trees could potentially fall and cause further damage to your property.

For more information on what to do to prepare for Hurricane Florence, download our complete Disaster Checklist.

Dealing With Water Damage After Hurricane Florence

Unless things suddenly change with the trajectory or intensity of Hurricane Florence, home and business owners in the Winston-Salem area can expect significant damage to their properties following this major storm.

Storm categories have a lot to do with the possible property damages to be expected after a hurricane. According to the National Hurricane Center, after a Category 4 storm homeowners can expect that “catastrophic damage will occur.” Roof structures and exterior walls can be severely damaged or even lost.

Dealing with the damages your property has sustained after a storm can make you feel hopeless and exhausted. At Restoration 1 of Winston-Salem, our team of experts is ready to help. It is extremely important that you call a property restoration company like Restoration 1 of Winston-Salem before re-entering the premises, as it may have suffered structural damages that could be hard to assess without professional input.If your home or business has suffered any type of water damage or storm damage call Restoration 1 of Winston-Salem. Our certified technicians are effective, trustworthy, knowledgeable, and available 24/7 for emergency services. Call us today at (336) 477-2498.