Living at Delta Coves means waterfront views, being a part of a lively, supportive community, and access to all the California Delta has to offer. With that comes the few times a year high winds fly into the Delta. If you’d like to keep your porch cushions on your porch – and not in the lagoon – preparing your home is key.
Anchor outdoor furniture
Take a look outside and make sure any furniture or accent pieces you have outside are secured. Look high and low, and out toward the water.
- Pull down any planters, windchimes, or anything else small that’s hanging outside your home.
- Secure furniture that’s exposed to the wind, including anything down on your dock. Even Adirondack chairs have found themselves in the lagoon during windy storms.
- Put away chair and couch cushions or they could sprout wings and fly away.
- Shutters should be secured and not free to flap in the wind.
- Outdoor swings should be laid down – especially if they have a canopy – or secured so the wind can’t give them a ride.
- Space heaters can tip, too. Double check the tank valve is shut and move them to the garage, strategically position them out of the wind, or anchor them to your fence.
Buckle up and weigh down hot tub covers
No matter how sturdy the buckles of your hot tub cover are, there’s a chance they’ll still break with the right wind gusts. Reinforce the lid, make sure your buckles are up to snuff and add weights to the lid to keep it secure. Bonus — this keeps flying debris out of your hot tub.
Moor the boats
Winds blow down by the water, too. Look at your boat and deck to make sure they – and everything aboard – are as secure as possible.
- Remove or secure anything loose in your boat including fishing rods, coolers, etc.
- Coverings that could catch the wind should be properly secured or removed. Retract any that you can and then wrap them securely with rope. Anchor boat covers so they don’t take flight.
- All boats, even those on a lift, should be anchored and tied off to a cleat on your dock.
- Paddleboards and kayaks should be brought into the garage or on the side yard and secured. They’ve been known to go joyriding without their human.
Keep up with maintenance
Yard debris and overgrown plants can cause damage to people and property during high winds. Trees with heavy canopies can break apart and – when combined with a shallow root system – can be uprooted during high winds.
Yard trimmings left to tomorrow will be thrown around like confetti and just as fun to clean up. Staying on top of landscaping and outdoor property maintenance keeps the clean up to a minimum when the winds strike.
See something, say something
Help watch out for your neighbors. If you glance out the window during a storm – or maybe you enjoy watching the wind pass over the water – and notice something amiss with a neighbor’s house, let your neighbors know. Keep in mind not all residents are active on Facebook. Use the resident directory to help you notify them their boat canopy turned into a kite.
Take a few moments to prepare your home for high winds when you know they’re coming, or you could end up playing hide and seek with your outdoor furniture later. Remember anchors, cables, locks, ratchet straps and ropes are your friends.
Secure your outdoor possessions so you can continue to enjoy them on sunny days.