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Survive the Storm, then Call for Denver Roof Repair
June 8, 2016
A wide swath cuts through the middle of the continental United States that serves as a path for severe weather. Anyone living within that area needs to be familiar with safety measures when tornadoes, lightning, and hail threaten. Tornadoes in and of themselves cause tremendous and unpredictable damage. Before you worry about repairing or replacing your roof after a storm, Denver roofing companies want you to know how to survive one.
Nothing withstands a tornado’s touch, so the safest thing to do is to take shelter underground, such as in a basement or safe room. If no underground shelter is available, a small, windowless interior room or hallway on the lowest level of a sturdy building is your best alternative. Should you be caught outdoors where you cannot seek underground shelter and are too far away from your vehicle to drive to appropriate shelter, then find a low spot and hunker down, being sure to cover your head.
When hail plummets from the sky, take cover beneath something sturdy and away from skylights, windows, and glass-paned doors. The pellets might not be large enough to truly hurt you, but hail can break glass and dent cars, siding, and roofing.
High voltage electrical currents from lightning travel through the ground and anything made of metal and will take out power, telephone lines, cable, and internet. Lightning is known to strike as far as 10 miles ahead of an approaching storm, so be sure to take cover before the rain catches up. Head indoors, not just under a roof. If you are caught in an open area, crouch down with feet and knees together and tuck your head with your hands over your ears. This makes you a small target with as little of your body touching the ground as possible.
Once the storm subsides, you can check for damage. Call Denver roof repair company Big Creek Roofing and Restoration to inspect the damage and determine the extent of repair and/or replacement needed to restore your roof, so you can file a claim with your insurance carrier. Call (303) 877-8369 for a consultation.
Tornadoes
The Storm Prediction Center reported 1,285 tornadoes in the United States in 2015. On May 8, 2016, ABC News reported eight tornadoes in Yuma County, about 100 miles east of Denver. According to Rocky Mountain PBS, only six states have had higher overall tornado activity than Colorado since 1950. Within Colorado, Weld and Adams Counties witnessed the most tornadoes during that span, with Windsor (in Weld County) suffering the most destructive tornado in the state’s history.Nothing withstands a tornado’s touch, so the safest thing to do is to take shelter underground, such as in a basement or safe room. If no underground shelter is available, a small, windowless interior room or hallway on the lowest level of a sturdy building is your best alternative. Should you be caught outdoors where you cannot seek underground shelter and are too far away from your vehicle to drive to appropriate shelter, then find a low spot and hunker down, being sure to cover your head.
Hail
Hail often accompanies thunderstorms and tornadoes. The Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association (RMIIA) reports that “Colorado had the second highest number of hail claims in the US from 2013-2015 (182,591), second only to Texas.” Colorado’s hail season runs from mid-April through mid-August, with the Front Range as the heart of “Hail Alley.” THe RMIIA states that “In the last 10 years, hailstorms have caused more than $3 billion in insured damage in Colorado.” From 2008 to 2012, and excepting the 2008 Windsor tornado and Pueblo hail storm, 10 of the state’s most costly hail storms centered upon the Denver Metro area.When hail plummets from the sky, take cover beneath something sturdy and away from skylights, windows, and glass-paned doors. The pellets might not be large enough to truly hurt you, but hail can break glass and dent cars, siding, and roofing.
Lightning
If high winds and hail don’t strike, then lightning will. More than 70 percent of fatal lightning strikes in the USA occur in June, July, and August. Around 20 million bolts of lightning strike the USA in a single year. Florida is the number one state with the most lightning strikes; Colorado attracts more than 500,000 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes each year.High voltage electrical currents from lightning travel through the ground and anything made of metal and will take out power, telephone lines, cable, and internet. Lightning is known to strike as far as 10 miles ahead of an approaching storm, so be sure to take cover before the rain catches up. Head indoors, not just under a roof. If you are caught in an open area, crouch down with feet and knees together and tuck your head with your hands over your ears. This makes you a small target with as little of your body touching the ground as possible.
Once the storm subsides, you can check for damage. Call Denver roof repair company Big Creek Roofing and Restoration to inspect the damage and determine the extent of repair and/or replacement needed to restore your roof, so you can file a claim with your insurance carrier. Call (303) 877-8369 for a consultation.