If you’re living in Southern Oregon, then you got to experience the freak lightning storm that swept through the Rogue Valley on Monday night, knocking down trees, causing power outages, and starting wildfires across the area. But, this summer storm was far from a local, isolated incident. Severe weather alerts have been sweeping across the US, with everything from flash floods to 724 tornadoes so far this year.
While there’s not always much we can do to prepare from natural disasters besides being ready to run and hoping that disaster recovery services act quickly, there are some tips and tricks to lessen the impact on your home. Besides the regular maintenance our homes need, a bit of smart landscaping (and updating your homeowners insurance policy) can go a long way in protecting your property. And, bonus! Time in the garden and other green spaces are good for your mental health. Couldn’t we all use a little stress relief when facing down a summer storm and imminent disaster?
Protective Landscaping Strategies for Summer Storms
Good landscape design does more than just protect our homes: it protects our whole community! A severe summer storm can have a lasting impact on our communities beyond just the initial weather damage. Tree fall damage alone can take out power lines, water pipes, and gas mains, creating more dangerous situations and ongoing issues. Lightning strikes can cause wildfires that wipe out entire communities and take years to rebuild and recover from. But, resilient home landscaping acts as a natural buffer zone that can mitigate or slow the progression of these natural disasters.
When you’re looking for home landscaping ideas to design a resilient landscape, the best place to start is nature. Our natural spaces are adapted to their environment, so they are inherently resilient to severe weather events like a summer storm. Take a walk along a nature trail and take note of how and where things grow, and what the landscape looks like. When you start applying it to your home landscaping, be sure to mimic the features from your nature walk, and choose native and naturalized plants. Remember: these systems aren’t meant to stop natural disasters, but to reduce their impact on our communities and help them recover faster.
Tips for Summer Storm Landscaping
To prepare your home and community for an eventual summer storm, there are few home landscaping ideas that can make a big impact:
- – Yard Maintenance: This is where you should always start when preparing for a summer storm. Cleaning up debris, cutting back grass and shrubs, and properly trimming trees keeps your home landscaping healthy and resilient, reduces fuel for fires, and decreases the chance of tree fall damage from winds or flooding.
- – Defensible Space: Also called “firescaping,” this is the practice of using fire-resistant plants, creating fire breaks like hardscaping, and reducing fuel loads to protect your home from wildfires. While it’s designed for fire, a defensible space is also very resilient to other types of summer storm damage.
- – Rain Gardens: Rain gardens are designed to divert summer storm water away from structures, filtering the water and allowing it to infiltrate into the ground. On top of being great for reducing the impact of flooding, it’s good for the environment, attracts wildlife, and can increase your home landscaping value.
- – Xeriscaping: Also called a “dry scene” or “water-wise” landscaping, xeriscaping uses conscious plant selection, soil preparation, and hardscaping to conserve water. If you choose permeable hardscaping options like porous pavers or crushed stone and gravel, xeriscaping tends to be resilient to drought, fire, flood, wind, and erosion caused by a severe summer storm.
When you start applying these practices, a good rule of thumb is to apply aesthetic landscaping ideas for front of home where curb appeal is important. Focus on functional landscaping in private areas, like side and backyards. Think about how you use these spaces (hello, backyard barbecues) and build to fit your lifestyle. And keep a list of these features, because your plants and outdoor living items could be protected by your personal property coverage.
Homeowners Insurance Vs. Summer Storm Damage
Homeowners insurance might just be your best friend in recovering after a natural disaster. It’s designed to protect you when nature chooses violence against your home by absorbing some of the financial burden from rebuilding. Specifically, it covers the house itself and the things you keep in it, but there are limits, so it’s important to review and update your policy!
Most summer storm damage, including from fire, hurricane, hail, lightning, and other disasters, would be considered a covered loss. However, water seepage or leakage, flood, and earthquake damage all require separate coverages. Those beautiful new plants and trees you just put in your yard? They’re insured for about $500 a piece with your personal property coverage, but that doesn’t cover them from wind or disease. So, make sure to keep them healthy!
Review your homeowners insurance policy with your insurance agent to make sure your replacement cost coverage is enough to completely rebuild your home. Otherwise you could still be left holding a bill after the summer storm passes. If you have any sheds, ADUs, or other outbuildings on your property, be aware that your other structures coverage is usually about 10% of your home coverage. If you need more coverage than that, your agent can help guide you through your options.
Prepare for Peace of Mind
As we get deeper into the summer storm season, remember to take care of your home landscaping and prepare your family for severe weather events. A little preparation can be your best protection, especially when combined with the safety net of quality insurance coverage. So, contact your agent, then rest easy knowing you’re protected from those storm clouds.
If you’re ready to update your Homeowners Insurance policy, you can reach out to our team at Ashland Insurance online or give us a call!
541.482.0831 Ashland
541.857.0679 Medford