Protect Your Business Ahead of Severe Thunderstorms

• Find a reliable source for severe weather information. Follow your local National Weather Service (NWS) office on social media and the NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC) on Facebook or X. Tune in to local news often when severe weather is forecast. 
• Ask staff to enable wireless emergency alerts on their cell phones. Check with your wireless service provider for device-specific information. 
• Purchase a weather alert radio for your business that broadcasts severe weather alerts from your local National Weather Service office, preferably one with a hand crank.  

 

• Know what your insurance covers and what it doesn’t. 
• Keep your insurance agent’s contact information handy and accessible offsite. 
• Take a complete inventory of items on the property, including valuable equipment. Take photo documentation of the property highlighting building components, equipment, and inventory. Store the photo documentation safely off-site and in the cloud.  

• Conduct a roof inspection at the beginning of each season and after severe storms. 
• Remove all debris (vegetation, trash, and/or loose equipment) on the roof and under roof-mounted equipment.  
• After any service is performed on the roof, re-inspect equipment to make sure all screws, cables, and straps are tightened and back in place, and no debris is left behind.   
• Inspect the roof cover 
  • Age of roof: All roof covers age but at different rates depending on the material used, quality of the roofing, routine maintenance, site specific conditions (e.g., environment, salt water/chemical exposure), and weather it has endured. 
  • Single-ply membrane: Inspect the membrane for tears or punctures, gaps, worn seams or seam failure, fasteners backing out, and brittleness along with these unique issues:  
    • A fully adhered membrane is glued directly to the insulation boards, which are secured to the metal deck below. Look for unadhered portions of the membrane and blisters. 
    • A mechanically attached membrane is rolled onto the insulation and screwed into the metal deck below. The seams are then either taped or fused using a heat welder or bonding adhesive. Check the seams for failure and ensure the fasteners are not backing out.  
    • A ballasted membrane is not anchored to the decking material but uses a thick layer of heavy stone ballast and/or paver systems. Check for uneven distribution of rocks and any exposed portions of roof membrane.  
      • Note for do-it-yourself repairs: Be careful not to damage the roof membrane when replacing the stones. 
    • Built-up and modified bitumen: Look for bubbles/blisters, cracks, excessive wear around connections, tears, punctures, and missing protective coatings for built-up roofs with embedded gravel or smooth surface.     
    • Sprayed polyurethane foam: Assess the foam for excessive weathering, tears, or punctures, which cause a loss of the acrylic coating and brittleness. 
    • Metal panels: Examine panels for signs of rusting, dents/divots, loose screws, deteriorated rubber washers, and discolored or worn-off paint (which acts as an anti-rust layer). 
• Secure metal-edge flashing 
  • Visually inspect flashing for: 
    • Signs of deterioration like rust. 
    • Bending fascia (waviness). 
    • Unattached fascia. 
  • Physically inspect flashing to ensure: 
    • The watertight roof cover membrane transitions from the top flange of the flashing to the roof cover. 
    • The bottom edge is not loose by physically pulling the bottom flange of the fascia. 
  • Check the securement of perimeter flashing to the building. 
  • If needed, hire a licensed contractor to properly secure or replace flashing.
• Secure and inspect roof-mounted equipment 
  • Check mechanical units for rust on metal panels and screws. Ensure all fasteners on service panels are in place so panels do not become dislodged.    
  • Inspect all roof-mounted equipment at the curb for loose connection to the curb, rusted flashing, curb leaks, or curbing rot from water damage. 
  • Ensure air conditioning condensers and similar equipment are secured with straps fastened to the stand, curb, or roof deck.  
    • Ensure secure cables and straps. When pulled, there should be little to no slack. Check manufacturer guidelines for more specific information. 
  • Check PV panels for rust on the framing and screws. Ensure all panels are properly attached to the racking system. 
  • Ensure PV panels are securely attached to the structure and properly waterproofed.  
  • For ballasted systems with both mechanical units and PV: Ensure the blocks are securely anchored to the tray and strapped or bolted together. Note: Ballasted systems are NOT recommended in hurricane-prone regions.   
• Check roof hatch and skylights 
  • Check roof hatches for: 
    • Loose hardware (like bolts, nuts, or screws). 
    • Cracks, gaps, holes or other damage to flashing that could cause leaks need to be fixed or sealed. 
    • Curb securement. 
  • Inspect skylights for: 
    • Securement to the curb and curb securement to the roof. 
    • Cracks in the seal, leaks, and any rotting wood.    
    • Signs of hail damage. 
• Inspect lightning protection 
  • Check for loose rods and cables by gently pulling on the securements and conductor poles; there should be little to no slack. 
  • If a new cable connector is required, install a closed loop connector rather than a conventional 3-prong connector. If the metal conductor cable becomes loose from its securement, the wind can drag or slam it against a roof membrane. 
• Inspect roof drainage systems, gutters, and downspouts 
  • Remove tree debris and vegetation that may restrict proper flow from all roof drains, gutters, and downspouts. 
  • Check for long-term standing water that is not due to a blockage. Ensure the gutter is properly sloped to the downspout. Hire a licensed contractor if the gutter is not properly sloped.  
  • Inspect gutters and ensure they’re secured to the building with gutter straps that prevent uplift. 
  • Check downspouts to ensure they divert water at least 3 feet away from the foundation.  

• Have your roof inspected by a trusted and licensed roofing company at least once a year and after any severe storms, high winds, or heavy rain. 

Inspections should cover: 

• Roof cover condition 
  • For an asphalt shingle roof: look for curling, loose (unsealed), missing, and/or torn shingles.   
  • For clay, concrete, and slate tiles: look for cracked, missing, and/or unattached tiles.   
  • For a metal panel roof: look for signs of rusting, dents/divots, loose screws, deteriorated rubber washers, sealants/caulks, and discolored or worn off paint (which acts as an anti-rust layer). 
• Vents, skylights, and chimneys  
  • Vents: look for loose seals, rusted, or deteriorated parts.  
  • Skylights: Look for signs of water intrusion, loose, or wavy flashing around skylights and cracks or damage to the window itself. 
  • Chimneys: Check for leaking around flashing and/or missing mortar. 
• Roof valleys/seams:  
  • Check for leaks from roof valleys or the seams from the bottom of your roof deck.   
  • Remove debris such as leaves and dirt that build up in valleys and against dormers.  

• Ensure gutters are secured to the building with gutter straps.  
• Remove tree debris and vegetation  from all gutters, downspouts, and drains.  
• Ensure downspouts divert water at least 3 feet away from the foundation.  

• Caulk and seal any cracks or gaps around wall penetrations, windows, and door frames on the building exterior using silicone caulk. 
• Add weatherstripping as needed to seal around operable doors and windows, making sure you cannot see any daylight from inside the building. 
• Seal any cracks or gaps around inoperable windows and use sealants compatible with adjacent building materials. Note: In some cladding and/or storefront systems there are weeps intended to stay open that should not be caulked.

Know your commercial door(s) 

• Look for a label on the door that shows its rating for wind pressures in PSF (pounds per square foot) values. Wind-rated doors labeled with PSF values have been tested to withstand wind pressures. Research the wind load requirements for your geographic region and make sure your commercial door(s) meet them.  
• If there is no label or the label is missing this information, it may not be wind-rated. Contact the manufacturer to see if there are any additional ways to determine the wind rating such as a serial number.  
• If the door is not wind rated, replace it with a door that meets the minimum site-specific wind pressures.  
  • Check out the Building Upgrades page to know what to look for when purchasing a new wind-rated commercial door. 

Conduct a visual inspection regularly

• • Is all the hardware tight? 
  • Inspect the track assembly to be sure it is properly attached to the wall. Ensure it is not damaged and all bolts are in place with no breakage, damage, or rust.
  • Inspect door tracks. Tracks are considered weak if you can rotate them in a twisting motion. Look at the tires on the rollers; ensure they are straight and tight on the axle.
  • Inspect the spring counterbalance assembly. It should look lubricated, and all springs should appear unbroken. Ensure the cables are not frayed or worn. 

Conduct an operational test 

• Open the door and close it all the way.  
  • Make sure there are no major dents, damage, warping, and/or rusting.  
  • Does the door system run smoothly? When the door opens fully, does it drift back into the opening? 
  • When the door is closed, does it close firmly without any gaps? 
  • Inspect weather-stripping for wear and damage.  
• Ensure the reversing is working properly by starting the close cycle: 
  • Reverse bottom edge: bump the bottom with your hand as it’s shutting; it should reverse back up.
  • Photo eyes: place a box or object in front of the eye beam as it’s shutting; it should reverse back up. 
• Contact a licensed contractor to make repairs and improvements as necessary. 

• Keep all tree limbs trimmed and away from your building. Hire an arborist to remove branches that overhang the structure and remove any dead, dying, or diseased trees. 
• Pay particular attention to trees within falling distance of overhead power lines leading to the property.  
• Ensure building signage and awnings are securely fastened to the building and all bolts or screws are intact and free from rust. 
• Keep large items not typically used every day anchored or in a shed or indoor storage area.