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What You Need To Know To Protect Your Home From A Hurricane

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Retro-fitting your home to withstand a hurricane may not be as hard as you may think.

Homes currently being built in New Jersey must be able to handle wind speeds of 115 to 120 miles per hour, but older homes do not have that kind of guaranteed protection.

"One of the key components to withstanding these winds is the structural integrity of your home," said James Pittenger with Pittenger Builders in New Jersey.

Pittenger says there are several things you can do to protect your older home from a hurricane, like adding hurricane clips

"Those clips will help and assist in keeping your roof tied down and withstand those great forces," said Pittenger.

Pittenger says adding shutters to your window will help protect them, but covering them in a window security film is more cost-effective.

"What that does is keep anything that may be airborne from hitting your window and breaking it," said Pittenger.

Pittenger adds, that before a hurricane you can use some last-minute techniques to protect your garage too.

"Sandbags at the bottom of your door, to help that door fight the wind load," said Pittenger.

Installing flood vents to your foundation wall can also help remove water from a storm.

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