1. Your Door
Wind pressure can rip your home open at its weakest points. You may think the most likely points of damage are the windows, but doors are also vulnerable. Doors manufactured before 1994 aren’t usually rated for pressure. Consider replacing your exterior doors with newer models that are code approved for both wind pressure and debris impact. Have them installed to open outward rather than inward.
2. Wooden Furniture
A sturdy, solid piece of wooden furniture can be your best friend during a tornado or hurricane. As part of your emergency preparedness plan, think about which table, desk, or workbench you can easily move to the safest part of your house such as the bathroom or closet (make sure the furniture fits through the door). When you hide under this piece of furniture, you will have an extra shield against falling debris – including heavy pieces like roofing materials or tree branches.
3. Mulch
Gravel and rock are lovely choices for landscaping. But they can easily become deadly projectiles in high winds. They can break your windows and cause shrapnel-like damage to the human body. If you live in an area that is prone to windstorms, use materials like wood mulch instead of gravel in your flowerbeds. Choose to pave your driveway with concrete instead of pebbles. And remember, any play or lawn care equipment not secured in your yard (swing set, trampoline, lawnmower, etc.) can turn into a large, heavy missile during high winds. If there’s a storm warning in the Chicagoland area, move whatever you can from your yard safely into the garage.
4. Trimmed Hedges
Speaking of power lines, you can decrease your risk of electric shock by making sure the city is doing its job. Anytime you see vegetation and trees growing into the utility lines near your home, give the city a call to report this unsafe condition. When they cut back vegetation, this reduces the risk that you will step outside after a windstorm and find that downed power lines are energizing the puddles of rainwater and sleet around your home.
5. Duct Tape (Duck Tape)
Don’t laugh! This adhesive really is very useful during and after a windstorm. Securing windows with duct tape does little to improve protection from broken glass (boarding up your windows is ideal). But it can be helpful for other last minute safety adjustments since this tape is strong and waterproof. You could use it to help keep smaller items in place should the roof blow off during a hurricane or tornado. For example, you might tape extra emergency-preparedness supplies and tools to the underside of heavy pieces of furniture. Duct tape can also help prevent water leaks around windows and doors from wind driven rain. You can use tape to secure blankets around windows and doors to help stay warm when the power goes out when a windstorm is accompanied by a blizzard.
6. A Whistle
If you get trapped under debris when structures collapse in a tornado or hurricane, blowing a whistle may save your life. The sound will travel farther than your voice with far less effort. A loud whistle can sometimes be heard through solid structures. A safety whistle will get the attention of rescuers faster and save you from losing your voice from shouting.
7. Waterproof Heavy Duty Flashlight
You can use a bright flashlight to signal rescuers in low light situations during pounding, wind-driven rain. Sound does not carry very well during extreme windy events, especially upwind in a rainstorm. If you sustain injuries that prevent you from speaking, flashing a light can draw attention to you when you need help most. Take a moment to learn SOS in Morse code if you don’t know it already (• • • — — — • • •). Power may be out immediately after a windstorm. A reliable emergency light source will help you get around in the dark without injury. Keep in mind that a flashlight may require backup batteries to ensure longer life.
8. Air Purifier
An air purifier that removes both particulates and chemicals may help keep your family comfortable indoors during a severe-weather event (assuming the power stays on). As staying inside is your safest option in any windstorm, you might as well still have access to fresh air!

Paul Davis Restoration of DuPage County serves the following Du Page County communities: Addison, Aurora, Bartlett, Bensenville, Bloomingdale, Burr Ridge, Carol Stream, Clarendon Hills, Darien, Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Eola, Fox Valley, Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Hinsdale, Itasca, Lisle, Lombard, Medinah, Naperville, Northwoods, Oak Brook, Oak Brook Terrance, Ontarioville, Roselle, Villa Park, Warrenville, Wayne, West Chicago, Westmont, Wheaton, Willowbrook, Winfield, Wood Dale, Woodridge.