HARC’s Vice President of Community Resilience and Sustainability, Margaret Cook, PhD, was recently quoted in an article on storm preparation in vulnerable states, by Redfin, a technology-powered residential real estate brokerage company.
Titled, 2025 Tornado Season: How to Prepare Your Home, the blog shares practical strategies for home weatherization and resilience against extreme weather events like hurricanes and tornadoes, with a special focus on areas within “tornado and hurricane alley,” such as Texas.
Dr. Cook shared her insights on improving home resilience and preparing a home before extreme weather hits:
“Properly insulating a home – including floor, ceiling, wall, attic, and pipes — not only reduces energy use and costs but also protects the home and pipes from extreme weather. Efficient windows or solar screens and reducing leaks or gaps with caulk or weatherstripping can add to this protection. If there’s a power outage, the home can stay at a safe temperature for longer. Take care when sealing a home to make sure there aren’t sources of air pollution like carbon monoxide that could become more harmful in a sealed environment. Having an onsite source of power like a solar-powered battery bank, even just to charge devices can be very helpful, as well.”
Dr. Cook was one of several experts featured, including several home improvement and resilience experts, to help provide top tips for homeowners preparing for the upcoming hurricane and tornado season. From in-home repairs like sealing cracks to exterior maintenance like trimming hazardous tree branches, the article offers valuable guidance that supports energy efficiency, cost savings, and community resilience.
Through funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), HARC is partnering with CEER and BakerRipley to help underserved communities in Texas repair and weatherize their homes. This three-year program, launching in Harris County and expanding to Travis County, actively engages residents to identify challenges and implement lasting weatherization solutions.
To read the full article, click here.
For more information on the Weatherization Program, click here.
