High velocity winds from thunderstorms and tornadoes can turn patio furniture, grills and tree branches into destructive missiles. If the area immediately surrounding your house contains trees, outbuildings, trash cans, yard debris, or other materials that can be moved by the wind, your house will more likely be damaged during a tornado or windstorm. The wind can topple trees onto your home and can pick up smaller objects and drive them through windows and glass doors. All storage sheds and other outbuildings should be securely anchored, either to a permanent foundation or with straps and ground anchors. The straps and ground anchors used for manufactured homes can be used for the anchoring systems for outbuildings, such as garden sheds, which are not placed on a permanent foundation. Outdoor furniture and barbecue grills can be secured by bolting them to decks or patios or by attaching them to ground anchors with cables or chains. Even trash cans can be secured with cables or chains attached to ground anchors or to wood posts firmly embedded in the ground.

Reinforce Vulnerable Areas-

High winds from tornadoes can damage garage doors or even blow them in. If wind enters a garage, it can cause dangerous and expensive structural damage to the home. A garage door can be reinforced by adding braces across the back of the door and by strengthening the glider wheel tracks. If the existing door is old or damaged, it should be replaced with a stronger door and tracks. These modifications should be done only by a trained garage-door systems technician. If your home is under construction, look into purchasing a garage door built to withstand high winds.

Trees and Landscaping Tips- Tall leafy oaks and maples beautify yards and cool homes with their shade, but they also can provide the ammunition for flying debris to break windows, crush walls, and puncture roofs. Proper maintenance and siting of trees will minimize tree loss and home damage. The surest way to prevent storm damage on a home from falling trees, is to locate trees far enough away from your house that they cannot fall on it. The distance between your house and any nearby tree should be greater than the height the tree will reach when it is fully grown. Proper care of trees can also prevent storm damage. Threefourths of the damage that trees incur during storms is predictable and preventable. Trees with wounds, decay, structural defects, stem girdling roots, severed roots and soil compaction are prime targets for experiencing storm damage.

Here are some basic steps in keeping your trees healthy and beautiful, as well as limiting the damage that can be caused by flying tree debris:

.. Plant the tree at the correct depth by making sure the roots are at the soil surface. Trees planted too deep can develop stem girdling. In this condition, tree roots encircle the stem, weakening it just below the ground and making it susceptible to snap off at the stem-girdled point in the event of a forceful wind.

.. Avoid wounding trees by such things as banging with a lawn mower and cutting with a weed trimmer. Wounds lead to decay and decay is the number one pre-existing condition which leads to storm-damaged trees.

.. Prune trees to correct defects, such as multiple leaders and weak branch attachments. Prune trees as soon as the defect is detected because younger trees will heal faster from the pruning.

For more information on protecting your home from storms, tornadoes and flooding go to www.fema.gov www.fema.gov and click on Planning Ahead. FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or manmade, including acts of terror.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

SBA's disaster loans are the primary form of federal assistance for nonfarm, private sector disaster losses. Disaster loans from SBA help homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and nonprofit organizations fund repair and replacement of disaster damaged real and personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 or go online at www.sba.gov.www.sba. gov.