6 chores to do before a storm

Residents of a Subdivision in Cainta survey the damage of his house over fallen trees and dangling Meralco wires because of the Fury of typhoon Glenda . AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Typhoon Glenda cut a wide swath of destruction in the country a few days ago. As an archipelago lying right on the path of most southwestern Pacific weather disturbances, the Philippines can expect at least dozens more of these typhoons to come ashore just for this rainy season alone.

Can your home take such pounding? Here are six necessary measures to take for your house to emerge still standing after the storms.

1 Start from the top. Mind your roof and gutters. Repair leaks. Clean gutters, says civil engineer Alexis Acacio, director of the UP Institute of Civil Engineering.

Architect Froilan L . Hong agrees. He says that chicken wire should be installed on gutters to keep falling leaves and debris out to prevent these from clogging the drains. He adds, Repair or replace any damaged roofing sheets, shingles or flashing to prevent leaks when it rains.

Architect Amado de Jesus, Inquirer Property Green Architrends columnist, also says, Clean and seal your gutter and drainage systems.

2 Keep the drains and curb inlets clear. Landscape architect Dickie Altavas stresses the necessity of cleaning out drains and curb inlets to avoid flooding. He urges homeowners to reduce, reuse, recycle and refrain from throwing trash indiscriminately to avoid clogged drains and the resulting floods and the water-borne diseases they bring.

Altavas adds: And while at it, homeowners can gently remind trash collectors to be more careful in loading trash onto their trucks. Theres usually a trail of garbage after them.

3 Create a swale system. De Jesus describes the swale system as a natural way to drain rainwater through a gently sloping canal with grass to allow rainwater to be absorbed by the ground. It reduces the need for an expensive concrete drainage system.

4 Turn trees into allies. Its good that more homeowners are planting greens and developing green landscapes in their houses. However, architect Edilberto J. Morcilla, chair and cofounder of NEDsteel Construction and Development Corp., reminds homeowners that they should also be careful in choosing what they plant.

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6 chores to do before a storm