Sweet home, Minnesota
Where the skies are so blue – and occasionally hostile
It’s a good thing Lynyrd Skynyrd wasn’t from Southern Minnesota, or else their lyrics wouldn’t have been quite as catchy! But if you call the lower half of Minnesota home, then you are no doubt already familiar with all the hostile weather we have to contend with.
Storm damage is the rule – not the exception – in Minnesota. It’s no coincidence that Bankrate ranks Minnesota as the fourth worst state for homeowners insurance: Minnesota homeowners insurance premiums have risen almost 400 percent in the last two decades!
Why are premiums so high here? Because the North Star State ranks seventh in terms of weather-related losses. In 2022 we had the third highest number of major hail events (just after Texas and Nebraska). Minnesotans filed nearly 50,000 hail loss claims in 2019 alone. We also had the third highest number of Tornadoes in 2022 – which also happened to be one of the wettest years on record.
How Can You Prevent Storm Damage in Southern Minnesota?
Outside of relocating your home to a state with gentler weather, such as Hawaii, there are several effective ways of preventing storm damage to your home in Southern Minnesota.
- Replace damaged and missing shingles. Your roof’s shingles are your home’s first line of defense against the elements. When shingles aren’t tightly sealed to one another – or worse yet, when they are missing – they cannot create the waterproof envelope that prevents mold colonization.
- Repair loose and damaged siding. Preserving the integrity of your siding is paramount to protecting your home against storms. Loose siding is at far greater risk of getting pried loose by a powerful wind gust, and holes and cracks both allow water infiltration.
- Maintain gutter system. Your home’s gutter system doesn’t just prevent rainfall from flattening your flowers. It also channels rainwater and meltwater safely away from your home where they cannot infiltrate your foundation and flood your basement.
- Maintain sump pump. Its gutter system is only your home’s first line of defense against moisture. For even greater assurance against a flooded basement (which costs an average of $1,600 to $6,900 to repair), make certain your sump pump is in full working order.
- Seal doors and windows. If strong wind funnels into your home and pushes upward, it could very well lift the roof clean off. The damage will only become worse if the storm is accompanied by driving rain. Securing your doors, windows and garage door will help to prevent this disastrous scenario.
- Install storm windows. In addition to reducing drafts, dampening noise and retaining heat, storm windows can also help prevent property damage. Tempered glass storm windows offer the greatest protection against high-velocity windborne debris.
- Trim surrounding trees. Wind speeds as low as 39 mph are still fast enough to knock branches off of trees. Make certain no branches are suspended above your roof, and take care to remove dead and diseased branches around your property.
Don’t Let Storm Damage Cost You
Even if you have homeowners insurance, you don’t want storm damage to render your home uninhabitable for an extended period of time – nor would you like to pay a deductible.
Save yourself the expense and inconvenience of storm damage by taking preemptive action. If your home is located in the Twin Cities or St. Cloud, MN area, contact Angell’s Construction today! We specialize in storm damage repair, which also means we are adept at performing all the precautionary repairs and maintenance that minimize storm damage to any structure in Southern Minnesota. Once we have inspected your home and determined where it is most vulnerable, we will customize the plan that keeps your home as safe as possible against our state’s adverse weather!