Hurricane Forecast

UF: GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jan. 15, 2009 –

Judging by the latest hurricane forecasts, Florida residents might want to add upgrading their roofs and checking the strength of their garage doors to their lists of New Year’s resolutions.Kurt Gurley, a University of Florida (UF) associate professor of civil and coastal engineering who conducts research on home vulnerability during hurricanes, says homeowners should take advantage of the five months before hurricane season to evaluate their homes, especially if the houses are at least 15 or 20 years old.“Essentially, the rule of thumb, which is not always exact, is the older the home that you live in, the more likely it is that you’re going to want to have some kind of evaluation performed,” Gurley says.Florida residents may have even more reason than usual to be concerned after hurricane forecasters at Colorado State University predicted 14 named storms in the 2009 season, including seven hurricanes – three of them major. The 2008 season saw above-average activity, with 16 named storms and eight hurricanes.Hurricane season starts June 1 and continues until Nov. 30.Gurley said Florida homeowners should consider redoing their roofs if their homes have old shingles. They should also check the braces on the garage door and the connections between the roof and walls. If the roof needs new shingles, consider installing a secondary water barrier on the seams below the shingles. Even if the shingles come off in a hurricane, the extra barrier will help keep water from seeping into the home.Gurley suggests visiting the Web sites of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (http://www.flash.org), a nonprofit organization, and the Institute for Business and Home Safety (http://www.disastersafety.org) for more tips on evaluating a house.Gurley says research teams at UF are working with the home-building industry and the Florida Building Commission, which recommends changes to the state’s building code, to determine the most cost-effective improvements to home building in Florida.“It’s pretty easy on paper to design a hurricane-proof home, but it’s going to cost a lot of money if the sky’s the limit,” Gurley says

.© 2009 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®