An afternoon spent tidying up the yard and either storing furniture and other loose items indoors or securing them can prevent a frantic scramble to collect items that have landed on your roof or in your neighbors yards. Drains and Gutters Make sure all drains and gutters are cleared of debris and functioning properly before the storm season. If buildings do not have gutters and drains, consider having them installed. Roofs Inspect your roof, or hire a roofing contractor to check for loose tiles, holes, or other signs of trouble. Retaining Walls Visually inspect all retaining wall drains, surface drains, culverts, ditches, etc. for obstructions or other signs of malfunction, before the storm season, and after every storm event.
Slopes Visually inspect all sloped areas for signs of gullying, surface cracks, slumping, etc.
Also inspect patios, retaining and garden walls for signs of cracking or rotation. Such signs might be indications of slope movement and if you notice any problems, it would be prudent to have the site inspected by a geotechnical engineer. Bare Ground Make sure your yard does not have large bare areas which could be sources for mudflows during a storm event. If, after taking prudent steps to prepare your property for winter storms, you still have concerns about slope stability, flooding, mudflows, etc., consider stockpiling sandbags and plastic sheeting. The sandbags can be stacked to form a barrier to keep water from flooding low areas.