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"Harmless" property structures that become your "enemy" in a hurricane

This porch on an older Florida house was closed in to make an extra room. Note that the roof was just resting on the brick column with no anchor to hold the roof down.

Threats to your own doors and windows are right there on your own property or next door. These potential culprits are porch roofs, carports, screen enclosures, awnings, air conditioning units, satellite dishes, fences and sheds. Some Florida residents don’t think much about these risks until hurricane season. By then, it’s too late. So that raises the obvious question.

What should I do about these culprits since most are necessary?

• Porch Roofs: Most porches and overhangs are poorly anchored and can get torn off causing devastating damage to the house and nearby buildings. You will want to check metal straps and other connectors to be sure they are in place, adequate and in good condition. Many are undersized.
• Carports: Carports are not built like your home. They can’t handle the stress and forces the house can withstand. Typically, they are not well-connected to the house, either. There are some things—short of a carport rebuild—that you can do to keep the carport intact. The most important move is to keep the roof decking attached to the frame of the carport and anchor the roof using additional fasteners. You may be able to add angle brackets that will help anchor the columns to the concrete slab.

  
  The roof over this porch lifted off and opened up the main roof and the house to the fury of the storm

• Aluminum Screen Enclosures: These unstable structures, common around Florida pools, are among the first structures to fly into your home or your neighbor’s home. That happens even under less-than-hurricane wind conditions. There is not much you can do with these since the long slender supports buckle easily and the structure collapses. What you can do is attach the columns to the concrete deck and install additional diagonal bracing.
• Storage Sheds: Backyard storage sheds are not built to withstand hurricanes. They are especially vulnerable because many have a large doorway, rather than a solid wall, and that makes it difficult for the shed to withstand high winds. Typically, sheds are not well anchored to the ground or its foundation. That problem can be minimized slightly by anchoring the shed to a concrete slab. If that is not an option, strap the shed down using screw anchors and ratchet straps criss-crossed over the top of the shed and pulled tight, anchoring it to the ground.
• Outdoor Equipment: Air conditioning compressors, water heaters and washing machines won’t get blown very far but they will do damage and will become damaged. By anchoring them, using manufacturers’ kits or right angle brackets, you can minimize the risk. If those appliances are damaged, you will not be able to use them until the utilities are restored and a repairman can come out to fix them. That can take days or weeks.
• Chimneys: These tall fixtures are most at risk. They stick out, taking the full brunt of the wind and many are not well-constructed. A 150 mph wind on a chimney is the equivalent of three 230-pound men hanging from the tip of it. Check to be sure the chimney doesn’t wiggle if you push against it. Look for missing, rusted or short screws. It is essential that a chimney be well anchored to a roof because if it gets blown over it can leave a huge hole in your roof to let wind and water into your home.

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