MOLINE, Ill. — Wednesday night into early Thursday morning some strong storms will make their way into the area. We are at a level one out of five for severe storms, which is very low. Our biggest concern with this system is hail, since the system producing hail will be coming through the nighttime hours, here are some steps you can take to protect your house and car from hail damage.
For those who do not have a garage to put your car or a cover to park under:
Use blankets or purchase a hail car cover. If you use your own blankets, make sure to duct tape them down so that way they do not blow off. The tape can leave a sticky residue on your car but mostly likely will not cause damage to the paint. If you try to use heavy objects to hold down the blankets, they could get blown away. If you don’t have blankets, there are other materials that you can use such as towels, rugs, floor mats or cardboard boxes.
Fold in your side mirrors. This will protect the reflective part, but the mirror casing could possibly still get damaged.
Make sure you have comprehensive and rental coverage insurance. Having the rental coverage helps pay for a rental car if your car is being fixed and replaced. If you have liability insurance, repairing dents or windshield damage from hail will likely come out of your pocket.
When it comes to your home, the roof is the first line of protection against hail. Due to the extreme weather that your roof experiences, make sure to have routine roof inspections. Have a professional inspect your roof once in the spring and fall.
The best way to protect your windows, skylights and sliding glass doors is having shutters. You can get these permanently installed or temporarily. It is also best to get windows that are wind and impact resistant because standard glass shatters easily. When you know a storm is coming, like Wednesday night, closing your drapes and blinds can reduce your risk of injury from breaking class and minimize debris entering your home.
Maintain the health of your trees by trimming them and removing dead branches to help prevent them from breaking free and damaging your property. Also, bring patio furniture and other outdoor equipment inside to prevent hail damage.
