Nor'Easter Coming - 9/25/14 - Batten Down The Hatches!!!

Nor'Easter 9/25/14 Thursday

Here it comes, folks, the storm of Fall 2014. This might not be the biggest storm we'll get, but it's our first official Fall Nor'Easter of the season, and it's possible that we may get some damage.

If you're not familiar with the term "Nor'Easter", it refers to the fact that the storm approaches from the South, but once it's gotten past the area, it turns around and batters us from the Northeast, hense the term, Nor'Easter. The easiest way to tell if we're going to get a Nor'Easter (and how I knew it was, as far back as 2 days ago) is that the winds will veer from the East. Here on Long Island, we usually get winds from the North and South, because that's how the ocean affects us.

One of the biggest problems about a Nor'Easter is that it will dump a lot of rain in a prolonged time frame, and that rain will be coming in sideways. Sideways rain gets up underneath poorly secured roofing shingles, slides under bad flashing, and invariably causes those pesky dark stains on your ceilings and walls.

What to do to prepare? Well, if you know that a window or door leaks during storms, you can try to caulk the problem areas now. Look for cracks, flashing or trim that's not quite right, and seal anywhere that is an "opening" in your walls and roof. That means going over the entire door frame outside, the same for windows, vents (like dryer vents) and pipes that might go in and out of your foundation.

In flood-prone areas, make sure your sump-pumps are working by priming them (topping up the well with water to see if the pump turns on), making sure they're plugged in, and moving anything on the floor of your basement to higher ground.

Do you have a leaky skylight? Now might be the time to call a professional to tarp it, if you get water coming in during regular rains. A Nor"Easter can be as rough as a hurricane in coastal areas - so cover anything that might leak.

Beyond that, check your trees for hanging branches, try to cut back limbs that might brush on your home's electrical wires (just be careful!). Don't get close to the wires themselves, and cut close to the tree to prevent accidents. Leave bigger branches to the experts. If you have limbs hanging over your house, this can be a problem - you might have time to get a tree guy there to take care of it.

Right now I'm taking stock of my flashlights, candles, batteries, first-aid supplies, and ready to eat products. Some tuna fish, bread, peanut butter, fruit, and lunchables usually go into my pantry.
To heat dinner, I usually keep some charcoal or some catering burners just in case.

Be safe and keep out of the weather, and call me if you have a leak or roofing nightmare - I'm going to stock up on tarps today. 631-281-9100 Best Quality Roofing and Chimney - Emergencies Welcome.