Severe Weather in Virginia Beach
While this morning began sunny and warm, tonight’s weather will not be a relaxing walk on the beach. This evening and early Wednesday, homeowners throughout Virginia Beach can expect possible thunderstorms throughout the area. With these storms you can expect heavy rains, lighting strike, gusty winds, and possible power outages.
To fully prepare for the heavy rainfall later tonight, homeowners throughout the Virginia Beach area shouldn’t just hunker down and hope for the best outcome, but guarantee their home withstands the heavy rains by following these thunderstorm preparation tasks:
- Bring In Outdoor Items: Avoid costly replacements and potential property damages by removing any outdoor furniture or other items inside.
- Close Windows and Doors: To keep out winds, rain, and other elements, make sure your windows and doors are securely closed and locked. Also, close blinds, shutters, and curtains to protect against any broken glass.
- Unplug Electronics: Power surges can often be quite damaging to expensive electronics like televisions, monitors, and computers. To prevent ruining your devices, unplug them from power outlets.
- Check Gutters: To best avoid water damages caused by heavy raining or flooding, make sure your gutters are clean and free of excess debris to ensure the additional water can safely be escorted away from your home.
- Stay Inside: Once the thunderstorms begin, stay inside to best avoid personal injury. If you’re not home when the storms start, stay inside a hard-topped vehicle and avoid touching anything made from metal.
Safely Waiting Through Power Outages
When there are severe thunderstorms in your area, there’s always a high chance that the power could go out in your home. Hopefully for homeowners these outages are brief, but sometimes power outages can last for hours or even several days. If your home has a power outage during this severe storm, follow these steps to be safe in the dark:
- Make sure your home has an emergency kit and keep it stocked with a flashlight, extra batteries, water, food items, first aid, and medications. Avoid using candles to illuminate your home, as these can introduce fire risks.
- Keep your refrigerator closed so the contents stay cool and don’t spoil. If the power is out for more than a few hours, keep your perishable items like cheese, meats, and eggs in cooler packed with ice to keep the temperature below 40 degrees.
- If you’re using a generator to keep the power in your home on, keep in mind it should never be operated indoors. When running, generators produce carbon monoxide which can be harmful for humans.
After power has been restored to your home, restock any items used in your emergency kit in preparation for the next storm, toss any food that may have spoiled, and avoid any downed or damaged power lines.
Contact the Professionals at 911 Restoration of Virginia Beach Today
If you find your home has suffered water damages resulting from these storms, call the professionals at 911 Restoration of Virginia Beach to quickly and effectively perform restoration services using state-of-the-art equipment and best industry practices. Our team knows the importance of remediating water damage immediately to prevent additional structural and property damage as well as mold growth. We’re available to respond to calls within 45 minutes and are available for emergency storm repairs 24/7/365. Schedule water damage restoration services today by calling our offices at 757-324-5276.
