B6 • Friday, May 27, 2022
THE GARDEN ISLAND
thegardenisland.com
ARE YOU HURRICANE READY?
Trim your trees Trees are great to have on your property to provide shade and add greenery, but they also pose a danger to your home during a hurricane. Hire an arborist or other professional to trim trees around your home, remove branches that hang over the house and cut down dead, dying or diseased trees to reduce the risk of a falling tree damaging your home.
5 tips to prepare your home for hurricane season BRANDPOINT
Each year, hurricanes threaten the coast with damaging winds and torrential rain, a combination that can cause significant damage, making it critical to take steps to protect your home. Acting early is especially important this year. Material shortages could mean preparations take longer than usual, and you’ll want to do all you can to strengthen your home because repairs or rebuilding after a storm will likely take longer. According to Colorado State University hurricane researchers, the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to Nov. 30, is predicted to see above average activity, with 19 named storms projected. Yet, it only takes one storm impacting your community to disrupt your life. To help you prepare for the season, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is offering the Hurricane Ready guide. It includes tips on seasonal preparations, ranging from home improvement projects to complete now to last-minute prep and post-storm recovery steps that can help coastal homeowners weather tropical systems
Review your insurance policy While you may not need to use it often, you should familiarize yourself with your home insurance policy. Review the policy to know what your insurance covers and what it doesn’t so you can be prepared for every eventuality. Make sure to store policy information and your insurand reduce the risk of home ance agent’s contact inforIf a roof inspection reveals buckles under high winds, it condition. damage that might displace it is time for replacement, can lead to damage of the mation on your phone to your family. have a roofing contractor in- roof and surrounding walls, Purchase hurricane access it wherever you go. shutters You can start getting hur- stall your new roof to the potentially causing strucIt’s also a good idea to crePlan ahead to purchase ricane ready with the follow- FORTIFIED Roof standard. tural damage to your entire ate a home inventory to and have hurricane shutters keep track of belongings. Roofs installed in this way home. If you don’t have a ing suggestions: are better able to withstand wind-rated garage door, con- installed ahead of the seaWhether your write down a Inspect and repair high winds, keeping the roof sider replacing your current son. During a hurricane, win- detailed list or take videos of your roof on and water out during a your belongings, make sure garage door with one rated dows can easily shatter, hurricane. to store this information to withstand the high winds letting in rain, wind and deHave a professional insafely off-site. of a potential hurricane. spect your roof and make bris, and it can also allow Don’t wait until the last If you already have a wind- pressure to build up inside any necessary repairs. This Install a wind-rated garage door rated garage door, service it your home, causing more ex- minute to get your home can include replacing loose The garage door can be hurricane ready. You can at least once a year. You can tensive damage. shingles, installing or replacdownload IBHS’s free Hurrialso perform routine mainteFor the best protection, ing flashing around your sky- one of the most vulnerable parts of your home to wind lights and chimneys and nance like tightening screws look for code-conforming cane Ready guide and a hurreplacing roof valleys if nec- damage because it is typiand bolts to prolong the life aluminum shutters to cover ricane preparedness your windows when a storm checklist by visiting Disasessary to protect your home cally the largest opening in a of the garage door and ennears. from leaks. home. When a garage door sure it’s in proper working terSafety.org.
Average long-term mortgage rates fall; 30-year loan at 5.1% ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — Average longterm U.S. mortgage rates fell this week for the second week in a row, though interest rates on the key 30year home loan remain at decade-high levels. Economic uncertainty and weakened homebuyer demand continue to loom over mortgage rates. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year rate declined to 5.1% from 5.25% last week. By contrast, the average rate stood at 2.95% a year ago. The average rate on 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages, popular among those refinancing their homes, dipped to 4.31% from 4.43% last week. Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve intensified its fight against the worst inflation in 40 years by raising its benchmark interest rate by a half-percentage point and signaling more big rate hikes to come. The Fed’s move, its most aggressive since 2000, means higher costs for mortgages as well as credit cards, auto loans and other borrowing for individuals and businesses. Higher borrowing rates appear to be slowing the housing market, a crucial sector of the economy. Last month, sales of both existing homes and new homes showed signs of faltering, worsened by sharply higher home prices and a shrunken supply of available properties. Homeownership has become an increasingly difficult aspiration, especially for first-time buyers. Besides staggering inflation, rising mortgage rates and soaring home prices, the supply of homes for sale continues to be scarce.