Overhead Door Company of Clearwater

08/21/2026

08/20/2026

Hurricanes and tropical storms are rotating storms that form over warm waters. These storms bring high winds, heavy rain, storm surge (rise in water level), flooding and tornadoes. Climate change has caused hurricanes to strengthen faster and bring heavier rainfall. The most common cause of death during a hurricane is from drowning. These storms are dangerous and can damage places far inland. But we can take action to prepare. Prepare now to protect yourself, your loved ones and your home.
What to do before, during and after?
Hurricane Preparedness checklist from the American Red Cross:

https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/get-help/pdfs/hurricane/EN_Hurricane-Safety-Checklist.pdf

08/18/2026

Get your home ready.
Clear your yard. Make sure there’s nothing that could blow around during the storm and damage your home. Move bikes, lawn furniture, grills, propane tanks, and building material inside or under shelter.
Cover up windows and doors. Use storm shutters or nail pieces of plywood to the outside window frames to protect your windows. This can help keep you safe from pieces of shattered glass.
Be ready to turn off your power. If you see flooding, downed power lines, or you have to leave your home, switch your power off.
Fill clean water containers with drinking water. You’ll want to do this in case you lose your water supply during the storm. You can also fill up your sinks and bathtubs with water for washing.
Check your carbon monoxide (CO) detector’s battery to prevent CO poisoning.

Be ready to evacuate or stay at home.
Always listen to authorities regarding whether you should evacuate or stay at home.
If a hurricane is coming, you may hear an order from authorities to evacuate (leave your home). Never ignore an order to evacuate. Even sturdy, well-built houses may not hold up against a hurricane. Staying home to protect your property is not worth risking your health and safety.
You may hear an order to stay at home. If driving conditions are dangerous, staying at home might be safer than leaving.

If you need to evacuate:
Grab your emergency supply kit and only take what you really need with you (cell phone, chargers, medicines, identification like a passport or license, and cash).
Unplug your appliances. If you have time, turn off the gas, electricity, and water.
Follow the roads that emergency workers recommend even if there’s traffic. Other routes might be blocked or flooded. Never drive through flooded areas—cars and other vehicles can be swept away or may stall in just 6 inches of moving water.
Contact your local emergency management office and ask if they offer accommodations for owners and their pets. Learn more about evacuating with your pet.

08/18/2026

Know the difference between a hurricane “watch” and “warning.”
Listen for National Weather Service alerts on TV or radio or check for them online. There are two kinds of alerts:
A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 miles per hour [mph] or higher) are possible in a stated area. Experts announce hurricane watches 48 hours before they expect tropical-storm-force winds (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) to start.
A hurricane warning is more serious. It means hurricane-force winds are expected in a stated area. Experts issue these warnings 36 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are expected in the area to give people enough time to prepare for the storm.

Get your car ready.
Make sure your car is ready before the storm hits.
Fill your car’s gas tank.
Move cars and trucks into your garage or under cover.
Always keep an emergency kit in your car.
If you don’t own a car, consider making plans with friends or family or call authorities to get a ride if you need to evacuate.

Get your family and pets ready.
Go over your emergency plan with your family.
Keep checking for updates about the storm. Watch TV, listen to the radio, or check online.
Call the hospital, public health department, or the police about special needs. If you or a loved one is older or disabled and won’t be able to leave quickly, get advice on what to do.
Put pets and farm animals in a safe place.

08/18/2026

Preparing your home and family for a hurricane.
We’ve talked about your garage door, but what about your family and the other components of your home? The following is in part from the CDC.
Make a Plan.
Before hurricane season each year, make sure you and your family are prepared by planning ahead.
Write down emergency phone numbers and keep them on the refrigerator or near every phone in your house. Program them into your cell phone too.
Prepare an emergency supply kit.
Locate the nearest shelter and different routes you can take to get there from your home. If shelter locations in your area have not been identified, learn how to find them in the event of a storm.
Pet owners: Pre-identify shelters, a pet-friendly hotel, or an out-of-town friend or relative where you can take your pets in an evacuation. Local animal shelters may be able to offer advice on what to do with your pets if you are asked to evacuate your home.

Gather emergency supplies.
During and after a hurricane, you may need supplies to keep your family safe and healthy.
Remember that a hurricane could cut off your power and water supply. You also may not be able to drive because of damage to your car. Roads may be flooded or blocked.
That’s why it’s best to be prepared—stock up on everything you might need now. Be sure to prepare the following:
An emergency food and water supply.
An emergency medicine supply.
Emergency power sources such as flashlights (don’t forget extra batteries).
Safety and personal items.
Important documents, including medical documents, wills, passports, and personal identification.
A fire extinguisher. Make sure your family knows where to find it and how to use it! Read the National Fire Protection Association’s tips for using fire extinguishers.

08/16/2026

Putting on Weight?
Some inventive homeowners may be tempted to add reinforcements to a door before a hurricane. However, adding weight without making appropriate adjustments to the track and spring system can be dangerous and may result in property damage and/or personal injury. Such matters should be entrusted to a trained door systems technician.
Using the door during a wind event?
Manufacturers do not recommend the operation of garage doors, grade level or loading dock, during high wind events. The increased operational force needed to manually open or close the door may cause injury to personnel and/or may damage the door.

There are some coastal areas that are subject to storm surges where it is more important that the door “break away” from the structure rather than resist wind load. Contact your local building department if the structure in question may be included in this requirement.
If you question your garage door’s ability to resist high winds, contact a design professional, such as Overhead Door Company of Clearwater, to evaluate both the door and the surrounding frame of the opening. Keep in mind that the attachment of both the door track and the door jamb to the structure are just as critical as the strength of the door itself.

08/16/2026

How NOT to Prepare a Door for a Hurricane

Garage doors are typically in the largest openings associated with building structures. There are several items that should be kept in mind regarding a garage door’s wind load performance in high wind events accounted for in building codes

Car as Brace?
Backing a vehicle against a garage door may not prevent the door from being damaged. Homeowners are often not aware that hurricane winds can also pull a garage door out of the opening. Placing the vehicle close to the door may also increase the potential for damage to the vehicle.

Open Door Policy?
Some have thought that it’s smart to open windows or doors to “equalize pressure” and thus somehow minimize damage to the home. However, keeping a garage door open during a hurricane allows damaging winds into the structure. This leaves the interior vulnerable to structural damage and possible collapse of the building.
A garage door should be closed prior to a high wind event. The door should be wind resistant to local requirements. Keeping a garage door open during a high wind event leaves the interior walls, ceilings and roof structure vulnerable to structural damage and possible collapse of the structure. In all cases the building owner must accept responsibility for properly securing each door in the closed position in anticipation of a high wind event.