When a hurricane threatens, these tips can help you prepare

HOUSTON (AP) — Hurricane season can be stressful for anyone near the potential path of a storm, as powerful winds and heavy rain can cause widespread damage, cut power for days or weeks and otherwise upend people's lives.

HOUSTON (AP) — Hurricane season can be stressful for anyone near the potential path of a storm, as powerful winds and heavy rain can cause widespread damage, cut power for days or weeks and otherwise upend people’s lives.

Smart preparation ahead of time can reduce that stress and keep you safer. Emergency management officials say good practices include looking around your home for potential hazards, considering how you might handle evacuation, and putting together a kit of essential supplies.

How to prepare a home for a storm

Anything in the backyard that isn’t tied down, such as furniture and barbecue grills, should be secured or brought inside so it doesn’t become a projectile that can come through a window, said Shawn Schulze, regional CEO for the American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast Region.

If possible, board up windows and place important documents such as passports and birth certificates in a waterproof case or even a Ziploc bag, Schulze said. That will prevent damage and make documents easier to locate in a quick evacuation.

Some preparation needs to happen well before a storm is imminent. That includes trimming or removing dead or weakened tree limbs and shrubs that hang over homes to lessen potential damage from high winds, said Mistie Hinote, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Insurance.

Hinote also urged people to review what type of insurance coverage they have and to make a home inventory of their possessions by taking photos of them in case an insurance claim needs to be made after a storm.

Brian Mason, director of Houston’s Office of Emergency Management, recommends that homeowners get their roofs inspected before each hurricane season and know how to turn off their utilities in case of damage.