Protecting Your Home Against Storms

At a glance

Every year, storms cause a great deal of damage to our homes.\ Here are a few ways to help prevent that damage.

Every year, storms and gusts of wind batter our homes, sometimes causing extensive damage.
A few prevention measures can nonetheless help avoid or reduce the damage.
Here are some of them.

Preventing storm damage

The roof

Inspect your roof regularly, both from the outside (e.g. broken or shifted tiles — binoculars can help) and from the inside (e.g. water leaks, draughts), and fix any problems you find as soon as possible. Above all, don't let wind get in under your roof.
Do the same for chimneys (cracks), aerials, satellite dishes, solar panels, gutters and decorations (e.g. a weather vane), and make sure everything is properly fixed or secured, particularly at the edges and corners of the house.
An annual check of the roof frame and sarking will let you spot any signs of damage (wood-boring insects, rodents, etc.).

The house

Check the condition of your windows and doors and make sure they're properly shut during the storm.
Check the condition of your shutters or blinds. These will protect your doors and windows from rain, gusts and any objects blown around by the wind.
Cracks and water leaks weaken your house. Make sure repairs are carried out as quickly as possible.
Check the condition and sturdiness of walls or boundary walls
Make sure rainwater can drain away easily (gutters, drains, pipes).

Trees

Inspect the condition of (large) trees around your home: remove dead branches, cut back branches that could fall onto your house, and ask yourself whether the tree is healthy enough to withstand a big storm.
In summer and early autumn, deciduous trees are at greater risk of storm damage, as their leaves act like a sail on a sailing boat.
Deeply waterlogged soil stops roots from resisting the force of the wind. This makes it easier for a tree to be uprooted, lean over and/or fall.

Furniture and outdoor items

Naturally, any lightweight item that could be blown away or moved by the wind needs to be brought inside (garden furniture, parasols, tents, decorations (e.g. Christmas ones), building materials, scaffolding, etc.).
If you have a fence or a sign, make sure it's properly fixed in place.
Close your entrance doors, garage doors and garden shed during the storm.

Staying informed

Find out about the storm risk, its intensity, and when it's expected to hit your area (e.g. via the RMI or Meteoalarm).

Final tips

Never go up on a roof during a storm to try to fix or prevent damage. You could risk your life.
Warn your neighbours (by phone if the storm is still going on) if you notice damage to their home or a possible risk.
Call the fire brigade (112) if there's an imminent danger.
For non-urgent cases, the authorities activate the special number 1722 for any request for assistance.
Don't park your car under a tree or next to a structure that doesn't offer a guarantee of safety. Instead, keep your vehicle safely in your garage.
Keep your pets safe.
Don't panic, stay calm. Everything will be fine in the end.
If there's damage, take photos of it and contact your insurer straight away.
A home assistance policy can help you quickly and offer an emergency solution for the occupants and for your home.
If you need to drive, read our tips on driving in strong gusts of wind.

The Beaufort scale for measuring wind force

Weather forecasts usually give the average wind speed.
Gusts are characteristic of storms. These are brief, violent bursts of wind that last a few seconds and follow one another in close succession.
Gusts are considerably stronger than the average wind speed during a storm and are the main cause of damage.

Force	Speed (km/h)	Description	Effects observed
0	< 1	Calm	Smoke rises vertically
1	1 to 5	Light air	Smoke drifts
2	6 to 11	Light breeze	Leaves rustle, weather vanes move
3	12 to 19	Gentle breeze	Leaves and twigs in constant motion
4	20 to 29	Moderate breeze	Small branches move, dust and paper lifted
5	30 to 38	Fresh breeze	Small trees sway, small waves on lakes
6	39 to 51	Strong breeze	Large branches move
7	52 to 61	Near gale	Whole trees sway
8	62 to 74	Gale	Branches break, walking into the wind is difficult
9	75 to 86	Strong gale	Minor damage to homes (tiles, chimneys)
10	87 to 101	Storm	Trees uprooted, significant structural damage
11	102 to 120	Violent storm	Very extensive damage to buildings
12	> 120	Hurricane	Widespread, large-scale damage