In a hurricane, the difference between your home's survival and its devastation often depends on the ability of its critical components (i.e., windows, garage doors, and roof systems) to withstand the high winds during a storm.
Information about retrofitting your home, permitting requirements, and contractor qualifications is available from most Palm Beach County Building Departments.
The Critical Components
One way hurricanes destroy a house is when the wind finds a way to get inside. Just as if air is continuously blown into a balloon the balloon will eventually burst, once a window or door is broken, internal air pressure rapidly builds within the home and causes the roof and even the walls to explode out. But there are steps you can take to help protect your home.
- Take things inside: Things like branches, roof tiles, toys, garbage cans, lawn furniture, tools left outside- just about anything at all - become dangerous projectiles.
- Glass Windows: Protect ALL your windows, even decorative windows and that small one you think has no chance of being hit. To have window protection when the storm hits, you must plan ahead. Before you buy any system, be sure that you will be able to put the shutters on the windows, possibly without extra help, in the short time available once the storm watch is given. Each protection system (eg.: metal, plastic, wood, operable accordion, hinged, roll-down, storm panels, or reinforced glass) has its own cost, both in dollars and in the time, ability, and effort needed to activate the system as the storm approaches.
Special Note: When shuttering your home's windows and doors, make sure you have an exit plan in case you need to evacuate the home during or after the storm (e.g.: in case of fire in the home).
- Doors: Doors that have window openings must have the glass protected, either with a shutter or with reinforced glass. "French" or double doors need to be braced from the inside. NEVER nail the door shut, in case you need to leave the home quickly, as in the case of a fire or other emergency.
- Garage Doors: Garage door failures lead to the same internal pressure build-ups that blow out a home's walls and roof after glass breakage. Today, all new garage doors sold in Palm Beach County must be approved as "high wind resistant." Many garage door manufacturers and dealers sell door bracing kits and systems to reinforce your garage door, and many hardware stores also sell bracing kits and may be able to direct you to help for their installation.
- Roof System Tie-Downs and Roof Truss Framing at Gable Ends: All homes should have their connectors checked, either by the owner or by a roofing professional. Throughout the roof, check to see that connectors and anchors contain at least three (3) nails (10d or 12d), and make sure nails go cleanly into the truss. Adding new tie-down anchors and connectors to older homes usually requires removal of some wall and roof sheathing.
Gable roof ends require more rigid bracing than typically dictated by codes. Check for diagonal 2-by-4's between the gable end and the roof trusses. Gable end bracing in an "X" pattern will make the roof even stronger.
- Roof Coverings: Roof trusses must be tied to the wall either by anchoring the top plate and then the top plate to the stud wall, or by strapping the trusses directly to the stud wall. Consult a roofing professional about securing your roof.
Gluing: Some in-place roof coverings, like shingles and clay or cement tiles, can be individually glued or adhered together. New products on the market can be pumped into the inside of your roof to "glue" the entire roof system together. These efforts cause the entire roof covering to become monolithically adhered to the deck. While homeowners may be able to re-glue fiberglass shingles, it is advisable to use a roofing contractor or roofing professional for clay and cement tile work, or to purchase some of the newer gluing systems now available.
Caps: To keep the wind out, have caps ready for any vent pipes that protrude from your roof and so you can remove the turbine and cap the hole.
Additional information about "hardening" or retro-fitting your home is available in a pamphlet entitled "Your Home Protected From Hurricane Disaster - A Homeowner's Guide to Hurricane Retrofit." Copies are available at the Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building Department and the Division of Emergency Management.
Related Links
Hurricane Preparedness from PBC Planning, Zoning, and Building 
After the Storm:
First, we will all want to assess the damage and determine habitability of "residential structures" and other buildings throughout Palm Beach County. During this early response period, you may need to make emergency repairs to protect your property from further damage, to prevent injury, loss of life or imminent collapse. Be aware of downed lines, particularly in or near water, as they may have current still flowing through them. Stay away from both the line and the nearby water, and call your local power supplier.
Making repairs:
After a disaster, some unscrupulous or unlicenced contractors may come to Palm Beach County to take advantage of the need for repair work. Before or after a disaster, DO NOT hire a contractor or provide advanced deposits or payments until you have first verified the contractor's legal qualifications, his or her license, and insurance company. Call the Palm Beach County Contractor Certification Division (561-233-5525), the Consumer Affair Division (561-233-4820) or your local Better Business Bureau for assistance in hiring a contractor or to check the history of complaints reported about businesses.
Price Gouging:
The price of building materials and other needed commodities should be almost the same as before the disaster. If you notice a large increase in price after a storm, call the Consumer Affairs Division (561-712-6600) with the location and name of the store or seller.
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