The 2016 Atlantic hurricane season is upon us. While some are expecting this hurricane season to be the most active season in the past three years, others are expecting it to be near normal this year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a 70 percent likelihood of 10 to 16 named storms.
Either way, we feel it’s always better to play it safe. Like Joe Nimmich, FEMA’s associate administrator for Response and Recovery warns, “It only takes one hurricane or tropical storm making landfall to have a disastrous impact on our communities.”
With Nimmich’s thoughts in mind, take the following tips into consideration to help protect your basement and air conditioner during a large storm or hurricane.
- Bolt your air conditioner down onto a concrete pad with hurricane straps.
Securing your air conditioner is important. The last thing you want is to see it being lifted into the air.
- Install a surge protector for your air conditioner.
Once your air conditioner is secure it’s beneficial to turn your focus to protecting its electrical components, since it’s common for hurricanes to cause power surges throughout the home. Power surges can destroy the electrical components in an air conditioner.
- Cover your air conditioner before a storm.
Turn off your air conditioner and cover it to prevent flying debris from harming it.
While your air conditioner is important lets not forget your sump pump, a vital piece of equipment to help prevent your basement from flooding. Checking your sump pump is a fairly easy task.
- Check the battery backup to ensure it is operating correctly.
If you don’t already have a battery backup, it is a great option to look into. A battery backup is there to ensure your sump pump continues to work in the case of an extended power outage.
- Finally, remove any built up sediment in your sump pump.
Once the storm has passed, check your air conditioner for signs of damage. Look for cracks, signs of shifting, flooding, or salt-water damage. If you suspect damage call Rainaldi. We’ll come out to inspect and repair or replace your system as needed.
Source:
http://www.noaa.gov/near-normal-atlantic-hurricane-season-most-likely-year