Miami Herald's Hurricane Guide

  Protecting your belongings

Home preparation

To reduce damage to your home and property, it is important to protect the areas where wind can enter. According to the National Hurricane Center, you should strengthen the exterior of your house so that wind and debris do not tear large openings in it.

Protect and reinforce five key areas: roof, hurricane straps, windows, doors and garage doors. A good time to do this is when you are making home improvements or building an addition.

Other tips for protecting yourself and your home:

SOURCES: American Red Cross, National Hurricane Center, Herald research.

 

Getting your yard ready (return to top)

BY GEORGIA TASKER

gtasker@MiamiHerald.com

When gardening in a hurricane-prone area, less may be more -- more likely to survive.

We're talking trees here. Without your even noticing, your trees have become more than they were last year. A warm winter and a decent amount of rain meant the landscape plants just kept growing. Some trees now are quite thick, casting dense shade.

Should these be thinned?

Thinning the outer canopy will allow light and air to circulate into the tree. The University of Florida's pruning guru, Ed Gilman, says the interior structure of the canopy should remain intact after proper thinning.

Allowing air and light to penetrate the crown allows the main branches to increase in size near the trunk and prevents the death of smaller, interior branches, Gilman says. Thinning the outer twigs keeps the canopy from being a sail in the wind.

A new rule of thumb: don't remove more than 15 percent to 20 percent of the canopy of a mature tree. That's down from the older recommendation of 25 percent to 30 percent.

While you're pondering the canopy, look for broken or diseased limbs as well as ramrod straight-up water sprouts. These can be removed. Also, take time to consider the trunk. Look for signs of decay, such as weeping sap or shelf mushrooms, which may indicate disease. An arborist can evaluate the situation.

OLDER TREES

Experts suggest knowing the life span of your trees because specimens nearing the normal end of their lives may be more vulnerable to wind damage. Old trees may be hollow or full of decay, so check them carefully.

What you don't want to do now is overprune your palms because it weakens them.

Canary Island date palms are often shorn of so many fronds they look like pineapples with a few feathers stuck on top. This is severe overpruning.

Palm crowns often have fronds that droop to the horizon or below. You can safely remove those that hang below the horizontal ones, but not above. Older fronds really shouldn't be removed until the stems have turned brown. There are exceptions, of course, such as when they block the walkway or drive. But old fronds contain potassium that can be redirected into developing fronds if left on the plant.

What you want to do is remove coconuts from those palms well before any approaching storm, as these can become lethal.

Make yourself a note: pick up supplies to have on hand should a storm knock things around. Banrot, Aliette and Subdue are valuable fungicides. Kocide mixed with Manzate or Dithane M45 (1 tablespoon each per gallon of water) can be used as a drench for palm crowns.

Have stakes and rope on hand should trees be toppled. A chain saw is valuable for tree limbs that have to be cut and dragged to the trash pile (don't forget the oil and gasoline.)

Orchid growers -- and there are plenty of us -- should also prepare for hurricanes because orchid collections can be quite valuable.

If you have too many orchids growing in baskets and pots to bring inside, water them well before a storm and put them on the ground. I put orchid pots under the benches on the floor of the orchid houses. Those with sentimental value (read, award-winning) come inside.

EXTRA SHADE CLOTH

Remove shade cloth from the shade structure. It can turn into a sail and may also take the house with it. Have the fungicides mentioned above, and extra shade cloth for covering your plants after a storm.

If you are close enough to the coast that a storm surge inundates your yard with saltwater, hope for an intact water supply that will let you quickly hose off valuable non-salt tolerant plants. Even the salt-tolerant ones are unlikely to be that salt tolerant.

If your area is flood-prone, Subdue used as a drench will help against root fungal diseases.

In hurricanes past, I have found the hard way that thick clumps of bougainvilleas growing on a chain-link fence can take down the fence. We are near the end of the bougainvillea flowering season, so if yours are growing on a fence as mine are, cut them back hard once the flowers thin out and keep the shrubs under control.

This year, yards are looking quite lovely after two years of no storms. To keep them as durable as possible, make sure the plants are healthy (not yellow from lack of nutrients) and the trees storm-ready.

Georgia Tasker is The Herald's garden writer.

 

Pool and patio enclosures (return to top)

BY JO WERNE

Special to The Miami Herald

A hurricane approaches and what's the first thing to go? A screened pool or patio enclosure. But there are precautions a homeowner can take.

"Armor Screening is the best product to come out," says Mohammad Ali, of Hurricane Window Shutters and Screen of Miami. "It's a fiberglas material, something like a net to catch any debris. You install it (around the screen) before a storm."

The product "uses a unique interwoven design, which provides an excellent barrier to high winds and driving rain, yet you can see right through it," says the company's website (www.armorewscreen.com).

The Miami-Dade certified product replaces the "dark cave effect'' of traditional shutters with natural light. Although prices vary according to the size and configuration of the screen enclosure, Armor Screen costs roughly $20 a square foot, Ali says.

The Armor Screen material is flexible, much like that used in trampolines. The clear shutters are made from the same strong polymer resin used in the canopies of fighter jets and NASCAR race cars.

The fabric can be customized to protect awkward spaces, such as condo balconies, recessed front entrances or patio areas, says Armor Screen's sales manager Eric Gower. "It's so effective that screened areas can be used safely and comfortably during the storm," he says. "The screen also allows plenty of light to filter in, reducing the claustrophobic atmosphere of a darkened, shuttered home."

The initial installation, which includes anchor bolts, must be done professionally, but the screening is lightweight and can be put up and taken down by one person afterward, Gower explains. "If storage is a problem it can be installed so that it opens and closes like a shower curtain."

REMOVABLE SCREENS

Some homeowners opt for removable screens to relieve pressure within a pool enclosure during high winds. It's a frame within a frame that can be taken out in a minute. It may be cheaper to replace screens than lose the cage (the pool/patio enclosure frame.) But since South Florida hasn't had a hurricane since Wilma in 2005, this procedure hasn't been tested.

Removing a screen panel on each side of the enclosure "helps relieve pressure from the wind," says Howard Ellis, owner of Ellis Screen Enterprises of Cutler Ridge. "Unless it's Hurricane Andrew, and then it doesn't matter.

Added Keith Ellis (no relation of Howard Ellis), owner of Storm Screen in Miami, "There's no need to cut a screen; the wind will do it for you. What you need to do before a storm is make sure the diagonal framing is strong, the bolts in the floor are secure."

Taller screen enclosures are the most vulnerable in high winds. Tougher screen requirements were added to the Florida Building Code in 2004. New rules call for more anchors, a smaller span for beams and columns, and more screws connecting the wall column to the roof beams.

LOCAL CODES

Homeowners are advised to check with state and local codes and approvals before buying any new product.

Another problem for homeowners is that most carriers do not provide hurricane coverage for screen enclosures, whether attached or unattached to the dwelling. Some companies require a separate policy for screen enclosures.

In Miami-Dade, new screen structures must withstand a wind velocity of 140 mph. In Broward the standard is 140; in Monroe 150 is the standard, also for new screen enclosures.

Miami Herald staff contributed to this report.

 

Protecting your pool (return to top)

Storm damage to a swimming pool can be expensive to repair. So, take the proper precautions before a storm hits:

 

Pet care (return to top)

Think ahead about the best way to protect your pet during a storm. You don't want to be scrambling to find a shelter or stocking up on pet food after a hurricane warning has been issued.

If you live in an evacuation zone, then you will be required to leave -- no matter how many pets you own. Abandon any thoughts about letting your pet ride out the storm without you.

Red Cross emergency shelters don't accept animals, except for service animals such as a seeing eye dog. Only two shelters in Miami-Dade County and one in Broward County will accept pets and their owners, but space is limited and you must register far in advance.

In southwestern Miami-Dade, the Sunshine Pavillion on the grounds of the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair & Exposition, 10901 SW 24th St., can hold 150 pets and 350 people. Animals and people will be housed on separate sides of the 49,000-square-foot area.

In northern Miami-Dade, registered residents and their pets can evacuate to Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, 1410 NE 215th St., Miami.

For registration in Miami-Dade, call 311 or go to miamidade.gov/animals/disaster_preparedness.asp for more information.

In Broward, the pet-friendly shelter is available only to pet owners living in evacuation zones and mobile homes. Pet owners, who will be housed separately from their pets, must register in advance. Registered participants will be notified of the shelter's location.

Broward residents in an evacuation zone can register in person at the Humane Society of Broward County, 2070 Griffin Rd., Fort Lauderdale, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Call 954-989-3977 for more information.

If you plan to shelter at home, here are tips for pet safety during a storm.

Sources: Miami-Dade County Animal Services, Broward County Emergency Management Agency, Herald research

 

Automobile safety (return to top)

BEFORE THE STORM

Keep automobile titles and other documents sealed in plastic bags in a safe place where they won't get lost.

Keep your car or truck in a garage or carport, if available. Otherwise, park close to the building on the side away from the wind. Vans and semi-trailers can be blown over if they are exposed to the full force of storm winds.

Fill the fuel tank and keep it topped off. Fuel might not be available right after a storm, though most filling stations are now required to have back-up generators to power their pumps.

Ensure the battery is fully charged, since dampness from the storm might make it hard to start the car. In an extreme emergency, a car radio may be your only source of information.

If the vehicle is in a beach area, tape old blankets or sheets over the windows to prevent blowing sand from pitting the glass. Fully tape to ensure wind does not get under the covering, and remove tape immediately after the storm to avoid leaving marks on the vehicle.

Do not park near a tree that might fall on or break branches over your vehicle.

Do not park near power lines that might fall on your vehicle.

Do not park between two buildings located very close to each other as wind may funnel through these areas.

DURING THE STORM

Do not drive during the storm as your car may become stuck or blocked by debris, or stalled by flooding of roads.

AFTER THE STORM

Do not go sightseeing in your vehicle after the storm. This may impede recovery efforts.

Do not drive through flooded streets.

Source: Broward County Emergency Management Agency, American Automobile Association.

 

Caring for your boat (return to top)

BY JODI MAILANDER FARRELL

jmailander@MiamiHerald.com

The annual hurricane prep seminar at Black Point Marina in Cutler Ridge is full of advice for boat owners seeking to protect their boats from the next big storm. But it's the photos taken after Katrina, Wilma, Andrew and other hurricanes that make the biggest impression on the crowd that gathers every May at the marina's Ocean Grill.

Boats piled on top of each other like Tinker Toys. Boats thrown into parking lots. Boats skewered on pilings.

The underlying message? Be prepared. Have a plan.

"All boat owners should really have a plan in place, whether they keep their boat at a marina or not," says Kathy Haley, manager of marina operations for Miami-Dade County Parks. "Our concern is making sure that everything is done in time."

Storing a boat out of the water is the optimal move, according to boating experts at BoatUS, a national boating association based in Alexandria, Va. But many boaters in South Florida don't have that option, Haley points out.

Regardless of where a boat is secured before a hurricane, there are key moves every owner needs to make. Among the basics: Remove anything that could flap or become airborne, including T-tops, bimini tops, awnings, dodgers, cushions, dinghies and sails. Extra lines are a must. Chafe protection wrapped around the lines -- whether it's new leather chafe guards or old, rubber hoses -- is an added benefit. Charging atteries and making sure the boat is fueled also should be done ahead of time. (Remove batteries from sailboats.) Valuables also need to be removed and the boat should be left unlocked. If authorities need to search vessels for victims, they'll break down all locked doors.

OUT OF WATER

STAYING IN WATER

When a boat has to be left in the water, deciding where to put it is the single most important decision to make before a storm," says BoatUS. One of the most secure places is a residential canal or narrow waterway. A narrow body of water won't have large, breaking waves, and a boat secured in the middle of the waterway with long lines ashore can rise and fall with the surge. (Coordinate this with boaters using the area so that you don't block other boats from seeking shelter.)

Broward County's Hurricane Preparedness Plan suggests tying sailboats out from the docking area by using at least two anchors (one forward and one aft) and lines into deeper water, allowing sufficient slack for as much as four to five feet of tide.

Seaworthy magazine notes that a seawall or sandy spit that normally protects a harbor may not offer any protection in a hurricane. And although some boaters head to the Miami River, it officially cannot be used as a safe harbor unless the boater has contracted for marina space, warns Miami-Dade County's Office of Emergency Management.

ADDED SECURITY

There are never any guarantees in a hurricane, no matter where you leave your boat, but there are some steps with obvious advantages:

LINES COUNT

Using more and larger lines significantly improves a boat's chances of surviving a storm, reports BoatUS. Eight lines should be the minimum. Although the size of cleats determines the maximum size of the rope, a three-quarter-inch line will outlast a half-inch line and two three-quarter-inch lines will outlast a single three-quarter-inch line.

"One of the most obvious mistakes is old lines," says Miami-Dade's Haley. "Make sure your lines are in good condition, not frayed."

Using braid-on-braid lines, which have 50 percent less stretch than three-strand, has helped in previous hurricanes, advises BoatUS. Nylon lines are traditionally stronger, but polyester lines are more resistant to chafe, so using a combination of both can be beneficial. Only two lines should be tied to any one cleat or piling. Multiple, long lines to shore allow the boat to rise and fall with the surge without coming in contact with pilings, piers or seawalls.

WHEN TO ACT

Boaters should start moving or preparing their boats at least 48 hours before a storm. Once evacuations have started off the barrier islands, Intracoastal Waterway bridges in Miami-Dade will be opened only infrequently until lockdown.

In Broward, lockdown will be approximately three hours after an evacuation order is issued or when winds reach 40 miles per hour. These lockdowns can be ordered 24 hours or more before a hurricane hits.