Defending your home against natural disasters can include making sure trees won't come into contact with the structure.

Among the many things you know you’re supposed to do – write a will, understand your taxes, finally master Monday mornings – hardening your home against natural disasters may be one of the more distasteful parts of adulting.

There's nothing fun about the worst-case scenarios like floods, fires, damaged property, injured or displaced family members. There's also the question of how much money you want to spend to prepare for something that might never happen – an especially easy trap to fall into if you've never lived through a natural disaster.

“People still have a confidence bias. They think, 'I see that happening in Hawaii or Colorado or Florida, but it’s not going to happen to me,'” said Leslie Chapman-Henderson, the president and CEO of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, or FLASH, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group focused on fortifying homes against disasters.

“But that blocks their ability to create a lifestyle that's very achievable, very affordable and could someday save your life, or it could save you from financial loss,” Chapman-Henderson told USA TODAY. “In the meantime, it gives you peace of mind and confidence. It reduces stress to be in charge and have a plan.”

How to start making your home natural disaster-proof?

For Chapman-Henderson, creating a safety “lifestyle” means starting with the easier steps, and building up to the harder ones. Ideally, preparedness becomes such a natural part of your life that it’s just part of your routine. You want to get to a point where you understand all the option, Chapman-Henderson says, and make informed decisions.

One example: You may opt for a high-deductible insurance policy to save money on the premiums. That’s OK, as long as you have a plan to pay up to that deductible if a disaster strikes.

In fact, taking stock of your insurance is a great place to start, said Elizabeth Hausler, founder and former CEO of Build Change, a global nonprofit that helps homeowners make their properties more resilient.

“Before you think about anything else, any other home hardening or strengthening, you should be thinking about whether or not their insurance is going to cover their loss,” Hausler told USA TODAY. “Make sure your coverage is sufficient.”

First steps on defending your home against natural disasters

If you don’t even know where to start, FLASH has a tool for that. Inspect to Protect allows users to input their address and get a list of hazards for which it is most at risk, and a list of recommended steps.

The organization focuses on the big disasters that often grip the headlines, such as wildfires, floods, and hurricanes – but also offers information about preparing for winter storms, tsunamis, tornados, lightning, hail and extreme heat.

If you have some ideas about what you’d like to do but you need to find professionals to do the work, take a look at the resources compiled by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, a research group. IBHS’s FORTIFIED program is a set of standards for construction techniques and materials that strengthen homes against severe weather.

Upgrading or building a home to the FORTIFIED standard can bring peace of mind, as well as insurance discounts in many cases, said Fred Malik, program director. The idea behind the program is to “make good decisions based on science and you’re going to be in a much better place than if you just wing it,” Malik said.

Contractors who participate in the FORTIFIED program get certified, and there’s a directory available on the site. If you choose not to go that route, Malik’s advice is to “always, always, always look for licensed contractors” and those who are in good standing with your state’s licensing processes.

How to protect your home against floods

One of the most important steps you can take is to price out flood insurance. Flood damage is almost never covered by traditional homeowners’ insurance policies, and your risk may be underestimated according to official government flood zone maps.

FloodSmart.gov is the website for the National Flood Insurance Program, if you can’t find a private-market insurer. (The NFIP is unable to write policies until the federal government reopens.)

Your second step should be to determine how high flood water is likely to rise in your area if a storm hits. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has some resources for determining this measurement, which is called the Base Flood Elevation, or BFE.

In your home, FEMA notes that you’ll probably want to elevate utilities and home infrastructure like HVAC units at least 12 inches above the BFE. Also consider installing flood vents, a sump pump in your basement, and a sewer backflow valve. Outside the home, you should periodically check the caulking and sealing around your windows and doors. And consider elevating your home, or moving it back and away from channels that may carry water.

Some of these steps may also help save you money on flood insurance premiums.

How do you protect your home against wildfire risk?

The Department of Homeland Security has some good tips about protecting your home from wildfire, but this is one natural disaster for which you should prioritize escaping to safety, experts say.

In fact, many of the preparedness organizations recommend that you arm yourself with multiple ways to recevie alerts. The FEMA app can give you real-time alerts from the National Weather Service. Sign up for community alerts in your area as well.

If you are told to evacuate, do it immediately. Make sure everyone in your family or household knows the escape plans and understands the need to comply with evacuation orders.

To defend your home against fire, you’ll want a “fire-resistant zone” around the house itself. The Ready, Set, Go! Program, which was developed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, has some tips. Among them: Remove weeds, brush, and other invasive vegetation and debris, and use noncombustible rock mulch around your home in place of standard mulch. Keep neighboring tree branches at least 10 feet from the home, and store firewood and other combustible materials as far away as possible.

If you have the space, you should designate a “clean room,” which is a contained space where you’re able to control your exposure to smoke and other particles in the air. The clean room should be able to be closed securely, and not be used for cooking or heating. Stock it with a portable air filter or air cleaner, and consider buying N95 face masks.

The Environmental Protection Agency has more information on setting up a clean room here.

How do you protect your home against high winds?

Invest in your roof: Patch loose shingles, ideally with impact-resistant shingling. Consider installing roof strappings to which attach the roof framing to the wall framings so the roof won’t be lifted off the house. Install storm shutters and stormproof glass in your windows, and fortify caulking and sealing around the house, including around pipes.

Outside the home, keep tree branches pruned, and as far away from the house as possible.

Just like you would for wildfire risk, designate one area as a “safe room.” The National Weather Service has advice on how to construct wind safe rooms, which may be something as small as an interior closet.

A wind-safe room should be adequately anchored so it won’t overturn or lift off the ground. It should also have walls, a ceiling and a door that can withstand wind pressure and resist penetration by windborne debris and falling items such as trees and building elements. It should not be located anywhere there's a risk of flooding or storm surge. Finally, it should have a protected ventilation system, and ideally contain a fire extinguisher, flashlights, first-aid kit, a supply of drinking water and a weather radio.

FLASH has more information about safe rooms, which can also be exterior shelters, here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to harden your home against natural disasters, from wind to water

Reporting by Andrea Riquier, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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