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Protect Your Home as the Wind Blows | SERVPRO® of Rapid City
6/5/2023 (Permalink)
If you've suffered from storm-related damage to your home or business, make Rapid City your first call.
We all can appreciate the wind from time to time. Some days, we welcome the gentle breeze or appreciate when the wind blows those beautiful fluffy clouds in our direction. Not all wind gusts are welcomed, however.
When the wind picks up alongside a thunderstorm or even worse, a tornado, it can be dangerous and even a deadly situation. Damaging wind can blow even when there is no severe weather occurring at all!
By having a better understanding about the different wind patterns that occur around the Rapid City area, you can better protect your family and home.
Wind can come in all shapes and sizes, but the wind that causes damage usually comes from thunderstorms and tornadoes. Whenever a severe weather alert is issued for our area, don’t ignore it!
Along with lightning and rumbling thunder, wind accompanies thunderstorms as the clouds blow through. Thunderstorm wind can reach up to 60 miles per hour, which can pick up debris easily and toss it around your yard or against your house.
Next up is straight-line winds! Straight-line winds refer to any type of wind that doesn’t have rotation in it. These powerful bursts can get up to 100 miles per hour and cause widespread destruction.
Experiencing a tornado is always a scary and stressful situation. That’s because tornadoes can contain and produce many kinds of wind, like straight-line wind, downdrafts and powerful bursts called micro- and macro-bursts. Any of these types of wind have the potential to cause extreme damage.
We all know that Rapid City is a particularly windy city! That is due to the air coming down from the Hills and picking up speed across the flat landscape. We are particularly vulnerable to damaging winds when a storm races toward us, so make sure to heed all warnings and stay inside to best protect yourself.
Wind damage can occur all around town, including damaged power lines and fallen trees, and it can also impact your property in a big way. If the wind blows hard enough, it can topple mobile homes, overturn cars and throw heavy debris into your siding.
In order to stay safe and informed during severe weather, it is important to understand the different weather alerts regarding high winds. Once you are alerted to an incoming storm, start securing loose objects like trash cans, porch chairs and benches and bring whatever you are able to inside your home or garage.
Pick up fallen branches and limbs and try to keep your trees trimmed and maintained throughout the year. Branches can easily become a projectile at the right wind speed.
Once your home and property are ready, head inside and keep your family away from the windows. If you have storm shutters, consider closing them to give yourself an added layer of protection.
Once the storm is gone and the threat has passed, take a walk around your property to look for damage. Pay attention to your roof especially, as one missing shingle is all it takes for water damage to occur in your attic. If you do find damage, make SERVPRO of Rapid City your first phone call. We will get your home back together fast.
Has your home been damaged by wind? Call us and get things cleaned up fast.