MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – We’re one month into the 20-21 hurricane season and officials say it is important to prepare now to make sure bad weather does not damage your home.

“I think a lot of homeowners do a very good job preparing the inside of their home when a storm comes, but it isn’t often the case to think about what you can do on the outside of your home,” said Regional Sales Manager for James Hardie Building Products, Matthew Bella.

Officials want to make sure you are prepared with the right product on the outside of your home this hurricane season.

“Use your windows and you’re siding and you’re roofing as an example of products that should be engineered to be resistant to impact,” said Bella.

In the event of flooding officials say your house should be able to manage water. You can help by doing things like clearing your clutter and cleaning the gutter.

“Decluttering your drains and your gutters is all in an effort to manage moisture,” said Bella.

Also make sure nothing will be brought in by the water and slammed into your house.

“Any loose chairs or any furniture that you have on your deck you want to either strap them down or remove them altogether to ensure that nothing is going to bang against the house that can’t be managed ahead of time,” said Bella.

Contractors say they see mainly siding and window damage after hurricanes come through, so it is important to invest when choosing what items to build your house with to withstand the elements of mother nature.

“You should be cognizant of what the cost would be to replace vinyl and replace wood over and over again after each hurricane,” said Bella.

Officials say another solution to protect your windows would be shutters. “Those storm shutters would be a good way to protect glass, protect the elements from coming into the home and esthetically adds a nice design to the windows on the outside of your home,” said Bella.

Hurricane season ends Tuesday, November 30, 2021.