The most important precaution you can take to reduce damage to your home and property is to protect the areas where wind can enter. According to recent wind technology research, it's important to strengthen the exterior of your house so wind and debris do not tear large openings in it. You can do this by protecting and reinforcing five critical areas:

• Roof
• Straps
• Shutters
• Doors
• Garage doors

A great time to start securing - or retrofitting - your house is when you are making other improvements or adding an addition. See Home improvement information and resources.

Remember, building codes reflect the lessons experts have learned from past catastrophes. Contact a local building code official to find out what requirements are necessary for your home improvement projects.

Flood insurance

The National Flood Insurance Program, is a pre-disaster flood mitigation and insurance protection program designed to reduce the escalating cost of disasters. The National Flood Insurance Program makes federally backed flood insurance available to residents and business owners.

Flood damage is not usually covered by homeowners insurance. Do not make assumptions. Check your policy. Most insurance companies will not sell hurricane policies once a forecast is predicting landfall.

National Flood Insurance Program call 1-888-CALL-FLOOD ext. 445, TDD# 1-800-427-5593.

Check hurricane protection tips