As 2019 Hurricane Season Expected to be Slightly Above Average and the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season approaches. The season will officially begin on June 1, 2019, and end on November 30, 2019. Everyone is always talking about how you can prepare; batten down the hatches!  Buy water and bread!  But your home preparedness is not complete if you aren’t protecting the areas surrounding your home.  That includes your yard.

Trees, flower beds, lawn decorations…and fences.  If you want to know how to prepare your fence for the incoming storms.

Is Your Fence Old?

If your fence is beyond its years, it may be best to get a new one before you see a hurricane (although, it’s cutting it a bit close…which is why you need to do regular maintenance!).  Older fences could be rotted, or unstable, and may be ripped from the ground in high winds.  A dangerous warning sign is if the fence wobbles in relatively strong gusts.

What’s Around it?

As we’ve said, loose objects like lawn decorations or deck furniture can be easily blown around the yard.  Even trampolines can catch a strong wind and destroy your fence.  It wouldn’t take much force, actually!  Before the storm hits, you need to remove any loose object that isn’t secured into the ground.  Get your lawn furniture into the garage, and take your decorations inside for a few days.  Be especially sure to remove any flags or small flag poles, as these can cause dangerous problems.

Check Your Branches

Surrounding trees could easily fall and crush a fence.  A simple windbreaker could easily protect a tree that may otherwise topple.  You can use sturdy, long poles in the ground and wrap burlap around them; doing so all the way around the tree’s perimeter can break high winds and make it less susceptible to falling over.  This works especially well for smaller trees.  Another option is to regularly prune your trees and ensure that there are no extra branches that may catch wind.