Hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, tornadoes, blizzards and ice storms — severe weather is a part of life in America today, no matter where you live. Help protect your biggest investment from damage during and after a severe weather event with technology that can act as your eyes and ears. Today’s smart sensors can help you stay safely out of harm’s way while keeping an eye on what’s going on in your home.

A sensor is a small, battery-powered device that connects either to WiFi or a hub-based smart home system and sends information to you through alerts like text messages and push notifications. They are inexpensive, easy to install, simple to maintain, and they could save you a lot of hassle (and money). Here are five sensors to consider that will allow you to mitigate flooding and other potential damage due to severe weather.

Leak/Water Sensors

Whether it’s flood-waters rising, rain intruding, or pipes freezing and breaking, water can cause catastrophic damage to your home. Install leak detectors in strategic spots around your home — near the water heater, dishwasher, refrigerator, and sinks. If flooding is an issue in your area, also place some near doors on lower floors and in basements, where rising waters might intrude.

A leak sensor can connect to a home’s WiFi or a smart home system. When it detects water or moisture, it sends an alert to your mobile device so you can know there’s a problem before it gets out of control.

Door/Window Sensors

These excellent security devices — also known as contact sensors — alert you any time a door or window is opened. When facing severe weather, install a contact sensor that measures vibration, so you’ll know if your doors or windows have been damaged during the storm. They can detect a window breaking or a door banging open.

Most contact sensors connect to the Internet through a smart home hub. There are now some available that work just with WiFi, but these require bigger batteries and more maintenance than the hub-based sensors.

Temperature Sensors/Smart Thermostat

Sudden swings in temperature can cause havoc in a home, a smart thermostat can notify you if the climate in your home has dropped below, or risen above, safe levels — alerting you at a glance to potential issues.

Replace your typical thermostats with these smart devices, and they can help you discover if your home is getting too hot or too cold. It could also alert you to a larger issue, such as a door or window that’s been blown open or if there’s been damage to your HVAC system.

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