How to Prepare Your House for Hurricane Season

 

A hurricane cloud forming over land.If you live near the ocean, then you are subject to the possibility of a hurricane or other powerful storm striking your area. Even if you live in a location that only sees powerful storms occasionally, you should prepare your house and have a plan for hurricane season. 

Creating a Plan 

The first step in any plan is to assess what may happen and what you need to do. What follows are a few steps that will help you best prepare should a hurricane threaten to strike. 

Emergency Phone Numbers: Write down emergency phone numbers which should include the police, fire department, and all emergency services. If it’s 911, that not only makes it easy, but you should put that in your phone contacts list if it isn’t already there. 

Emergency Supply Kit: You should keep an emergency supply kit in the home and a smaller one in each vehicle. The kit should consist of the following. 

  • Food & Water: 72 hours for each person
  • Medicine: Primary medications for each person
  • Flashlights & Batteries 
  • Full Gas Tank
  • Personnel & Safety Items: Items that protect you and provide comfort.
  • Documents: Including passports, wills, personal identification, and medical documents 
  • Fire Extinguisher: Fires are a big danger after hurricanes. Have at least one in your home 

Having these items ready will help you cut down on preparation time.

Shelters: Get to know the location of shelters that are designated to protect people both during and after a hurricanes. Knowing this before a hurricane strikes can save you valuable time. Also, if you have relatives who are out of the hurricane strike zone and within driving distance, plan on staying with them and leaving your home well before the danger builds. 

Pets: Some shelters may not take pets, so identify a pet-friendly shelter or hotel. This is where having a good friend or relative out of harms way can help as well. 

Getting Your Home Ready 

Now that you, your family, and pets are ready, it’s time to make your home ready for the hurricane. 

Remove Loose Objects from Your Yard: Take in anything that can blow around during the hurricane. Including lawn furniture, bicycles, grills, building materials, and the like. If you can pick it up, then it should be moved inside. 

Cover Windows & Doors: If you have storm shutters installed or have access to plywood, cover the windows so that the glass is protected. Same is true for doors so they are not blown off their hinges. 

Have Plenty of Water: Purchase five-gallon containers for your drinking water. Fill sinks and the bathtub for cleaning. 

Power Switch: Turn the power off if you see downed power lines or flooding that is approaching your home. If you evacuate, turn the power off before you go to lower the chances of a fire occurring. 

Finally, know when to leave. Keep in mind that the later you decide to evacuate, the more traffic you will run into. Either leave early or stay for the duration. But make the choice that is best for you and your family. 

Contact Brickley Environmental Today 

With numerous dangers facing your home or business, calling the professionals at Brickley Environmental is a good place to start. We offer our knowledge and experience along with the tools to detect and remove infestations of various types. The services provided by Brickley Environmental include the following. 

  • Asbestos Abatement
  • Mold Remediation
  • Lead-Based Paint Removal 
  • Demolition 
  • Hazardous Waste Removal

If you are facing any of these issues, call Brickley Environmental today. Our friendly, courteous staff will take your call and answer your questions, so you can make the best-informed decision about what to do next. At Brickley Environmental, we are here to help you.

How Batteries are Helping San Diego Battle the Heat This Summer

With the power grid in California struggling under the intense summer heat, one solution to alleviate the problem has arisen in San Diego. The use of battery power to compensate for shortages in electricity during peak use times. The ion battery provides a strong backup for electrical grids that are under stress. 

The search for alternative sources of energy such as wind and solar are on the rise, but even with more power generators in action, the chances of the electrical grid becoming overworked increases in the summer. Identifying the solutions starts with examining the potential power sources available. 

How Does Battery Power Help?

The nonprofit organization running California’s electrical grid, California ISO, reports a 75% increase in battery capacity compared to last year. What that means is when solar power is maxing out during the day, the batteries can store the energy for twilight and nighttime use when the sun goes down. 

What that means is battery power fills the gap when solar and wind power are fading, so the electrical grid can remain strong. The more batteries available, especially the reliable ion battery, the greater the storage capacity and the less likely a brownout or blackout takes place during the evening hours. 

This is crucial because while the sun goes down, the temperatures often remain near peak levels for a few hours. This means air conditioners are still running, which pulls more power from the grid. When solar and wind power are fading, the charge in the batteries takes their place. 

Other advantages of enhanced battery power include not contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This means that instead of relying more on fossil fuels, batteries can alleviate the pressure on power plants to increase capacity and emit more greenhouse gases. 

Noise mitigation is another powerful reason why battery power is being expanded across the state. Because batteries operate silently, there is no noise pollution generated. Currently, eleven new battery storage sites are being planned for the state with San Diego being one of the locations. 

Why the Ion Battery? 

The ion battery represents one of the best available batteries on the market. For large storage capacity and ability to recharge many times before needing replacement, the ion battery provides a viable solution to the solar and wind gap while remaining online for quite some time. 

Batteries are mostly used in large storage banks next to solar and wind farms, but they can also be used locally by individual homes and businesses that use solar power. The batteries maintain power once the sun goes down, and since the wind often dies down at night, they can be used there as well. 

With the goal of eliminated greenhouse gas production by 2045, residents of San Diego know that the intense summer heat no longer means automatic brownout or blackout conditions thanks to the ion battery. With backup battery power, cities such as San Diego can handle greater amounts of electricity at peak times while lessening the chances of an overload. 

Contact Brickley Environmental Today 

With numerous dangers facing your home or business, calling the professionals at Brickley Environmental is a good place to start. We offer our knowledge and experience along with the tools to detect and remove infestations of various types. The services provided by Brickley Environmental include the following. 

  • Asbestos Abatement
  • Mold Remediation
  • Lead-Based Paint Removal 
  • Demolition 
  • Hazardous Waste Removal

If you are facing any of these issues, call Brickley Environmental today. Our friendly, courteous staff will take your call and answer your questions, so you can make the best-informed decision about what to do next. At Brickley Environmental, we are here to help you.