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Before hurricane season, check your lawn for potential projectiles

Agent Lynn Barber with UF IFAS Hillsborough County extention with potential hurricane projectiles
Craig Kopp
Agent Lynn Barber with UF IFAS Hillsborough County extention with potential hurricane projectiles.

Everything from concrete pots to lawn are can become flying objects during a powerful storm.

The classic pre-hurricane scene is people gathering sandbags and boarding up windows.

But you can't forget about your lawn, and all the potential wind-blown projectiles there.

A lot of Floridians grow plants in pots.

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Lynn Barber, with the University of Florida IFAS extention in Hillsborough County, said hurricane winds can make those pots fly through the air and do a lot of damage. She said either move them to a shed or garage or, try this.

"If I have significant amount of pots, which I do, I lay them on their side against the house, behind a hedge, and that way they're probably not going to be picked up," Barber said.

The tipping of the pots also ensures they're not going to be drowned by torrential rains.

And don't forget all that lawn art you've collected over the years.

"Any kind of yard art. If you have hanging plants off your front porch or lanai, those should come in. If you have hanging plants in trees, that's all potential for a projectile. Same thing with a bird bath, bird feeders, al of that," Barber said.

If you start running out of room, Barber said three or four hanging plants will probably fit into a good-sized garbage can and save floor space in your shed or garage.

Barber said the first step is to walk around your yard and see just how many potential projectiles you may have on your property. And you can probably guess what step two is.

Move it.

I started my journalism career delivering the Toledo Blade newspaper on my bike.
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