I’ve learned a great deal from my Father throughout my life – but somehow he always has more to share! I am so grateful for the things that I have learned and am learning from him.

 

I remember when he taught us about a concept called “both ends of the stick”. This is the fascinating idea that when you choose an action, you also choose the consequences that follow the action. If you choose the action of napping on a train track, you are also choosing the likely consequence of being run over by a train. If you choose the action of driving with your eyes closed, you choose the consequence of causing severe damage to yourself and others. Actions have consequences! I like to take the thought a little further and say this: if you have results you do not like, it is likely because you didn’t look ahead when you picked up a certain stick. Look back and see just what choice it was you made (what stick you picked up) that brought the undesired consequence. Change your choices, change your results, change your life!

 

Another important thing I have learned from my Dad is that “completion includes clean-up”. Whatever you are doing, even once you’re “done” with it, you’re not “finished” until the area is clean and the tools are put away in their proper places.

At Willis Sinclair we also believe in “finishing” what we started. It is so very important to take pride in our work!

 

To my Daddy: Thank you for being the best Father ever. I love you dearly and I am so proud to be your daughter! 

As usual, the National Hurricane Center predicts this will be a worse than normal season. Perhaps it will be and perhaps not, however it is much better to be prepared and have no serious storms than to not be prepared and have a hurricane land near us. 

No matter the chances of a major storm, if one does strike, it is best to be prepared. For that matter it is best to be prepared even if one does not land here. 

 

Most of the newer (25 years old or less) homes in our area are relatively well built and most likely any damage from the wind would be to shingles or other minor losses. There are other things to consider, however. Along with strong wind is often debris flying around. While well built homes can withstand wind, flying debris is another story. 

 

Protecting your windows, the most vulnerable part of your home when considering flying debris is important. Some people have impact rated glass windows and doors. Those require no additional protection, but they must be latched properly to be effective. If you don’t have impact rated windows, you really need some sort of exterior covering on your windows (typically plywood, corrugated metal or heavy fabric). You will also need someone to install the protection for you. 

 

Another area for last minute preparation is securing any lawn furniture or items that may blow and become windborne debris. 

 

Yet another thing to consider, especially in our area, is falling trees. There are many trees here and wind exerts tremendous force on them. To compound the problem, usually before a hurricane lands, there will be torrential rain that saturates the ground. If the ground is saturated, trees don’t have near the stability as they would in dry ground. That means trees that can ordinarily stand in heavy winds could fall. If one is over or close to your house, that could be a problem. 

 

Historically, most of the damage from hurricanes in our area is falling trees or limbs. Windborne debris also has caused significant damage.