When you live in an area where you don't have to deal with hurricanes, you have no reason to learn much about them. Your knowledge of them will probably not go much further than what you hear on the news and read on some online sites. However, once you decide to move somewhere where hurricanes are a risk, you'll really want to learn what to watch for in a house, what to do to prepare, and how to react when you hear one is on its way. Here is a short guide to help you along the way:

Understand how hurricanes work: You should have an understanding of how hurricanes gather speed and how they slow down. This will help you with choosing the right home. Hurricanes pick up power as they travel over the warmer waters. Therefore, when they hit the lands right off those waters, they are in full swing.

As they travel across the land, they slow down and become less powerful. If you are determined to live by the water, pick your spot well. You want to live in an area that has a lot of highways leading out of the area with plenty of gas stations along the way. This way, you won't get stuck fighting everyone on a single stretch of highway in an evacuation. However, the best bet is to purchase a home that's further inland so the hurricane will lose power before reaching you.

Know what to look for in a home: When you are purchasing a home where the risk of hurricanes is heightened, you want to make sure you get a home on higher ground. This way, there is less risk of your home being completely flooded.

You also want to go with a newer home that was built with the craftsmanship and materials to withstand those heavy winds, or you want to purchase a home that has been remodeled to withstand them. Fewer windows around the home also mean fewer windows you have to board up and worry about breaking.

Some things to keep in mind if you do move to a hurricane area: If you decide to move to a hurricane area, make sure you get hurricane coverage, which can be costly but worth the expense. Also, make sure you always have a running vehicle that has plenty of gas in it. Keep a generator full of gas in the garage, and make sure you have a good plan for getting your family and all animals out. Also, stock up on all the supplies you would need to sit through a hurricane, to protect your home from one and to evacuate.

Keep location and number of windows in mind when looking for homes for sale in hurricane areas.

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