Weather - Stuart Drossner

Year round, Miami is one of the most popular hotspots (literally and figuratively) in the United States. While the weather is particularly ideal most days, like every other city in the country, rain can occur at any moment, especially when humidity levels reach higher rates. Should you experience more rainy days than sunny ones while spending time in the Magic City, consider any of the following activities to ensure your trip is still an enjoyable one.

Vicky’s House

This ice cream parlor is more than just your neighborhood dessert shop. Serving milkshakes, cold beer, and a plethora of video games, Vicky’s House is an 80s-themed restaurant modeled after the owner’s own kitchen. Each menu item is cleverly named after popular 80s references like the “Pretty in Pink,” “Golden Girls,” and “The BreakFast Club.” A rainy day spent at Vicky’s will surely not disappoint.

Sweat Records

Another indoor refuge from inclement weather, this record store is often regarded as one of Miami’s favorites. Sweat Records boasts an enormous collection of vinyls encompassing nearly every genre of music imaginable. They also offer a number of local bands’ records only found within the confines of Miami. Additionally, they have a coffee bar at the counter to provide you with some refreshments while browsing.

Kings Bowl

What better way to spend a rainy day than to do so bowling? The new Kings Dining & Entertainment in Miami-Doral has 14 bowling lanes, a bar and restaurant, pool and shuffleboard tables, and even karaoke rooms. This venue has enough to keep you entertained for hours regardless of the weather outside. Guests are even allowed to book the private “King Pin room” where they are treated to 4 private lanes that only they have access to.

Brickell City Centre

Traversing an outdoor mall may seem like the opposite thing to do in the middle of a rainy day, but the Brickell City Centre has a unique piece of architectural genius that is the first of its kind. The “climate ribbon” covers four blocks of the centre’s shopping areas and is designed to trap natural breezes while keeping out external elements, leaving guests completely dry. Once you’re done marveling at this amazing structure, there is a plethora of shops and restaurants to check out.

iFLY

Skydiving in the rain is never recommended. But, Miami visitors can find the next best thing at iFLY in Davie, Florida. Indoor skydiving has recently grown in popularity this past decade, and for just $69.95, you can experience it too at iFLY. Guests will go through pre-flight training and work with an instructor to learn the ins and outs of skydiving, as well as standard safety measures. Once you experience the thrill of jumping out of a plane in the safety of an indoor facility, you may never want to actually skydive again.

In the wake of destruction left behind by Hurricane Irma, Miami and all of South Florida were as resilient as they could be in terms of sustaining homes and buildings, many of which having successfully weathered the storm. For those looking to buy properties in the South Florida area, or throughout the state in general, preparing for hurricanes comes as a necessity.

Now that the worst of the 2017 hurricane season has seemingly come to an end, there is no better time to brace your home for the impending storms next year may bring. You can never be too late or too early, especially for Miami and South Florida residents.

A house is one of the largest financial investments you will ever make in your lifetime. Allowing it to succumb to the devastating effects of a storm because of poor planning would be foolish, and ultimately, an enormous financial cost. However, it would be best to preface this by saying that your life is more important than your house. Should orders be given to evacuate, do not hesitate to do so.

To start, look over your insurance policies to be certain that any damage your home endures is covered. A common theme is to insure one’s home based on its value. But, the cost of repair can exceed that number fairly quickly. To accommodate, look into the proper forms of insurance for your location (i.e. flood insurance). While water damage is typically covered during a storm, the floods that follow pose a different problem, and are often disregarded by home insurance policies.

Your home’s roof can quickly become a gateway for rain and debris in the event of extreme winds. Sealing and securing this as best is you can should be a priority. No matter if you have shingles or tiles, inspecting them to look for any cracks beforehand can prevent existing damage from worsening. Consider having your roof professionally repaired. The cost of this is much less than that of losing your home entirely.

Here in Florida, the construction industry has a policy in place that requires builders to connect a house’s roof to its walls with metal straps. In a similar fashion, homeowners should do the same to porches, carports, and anything else that has the potential of ripping off the side of the house. Firmly securing these to the ground is the first preventative measure to implement.

Sealing windows, doors, and any holes throughout your home is another strategy that can prevent excess water from entering. Think about any areas where cables or electric wires of any sort enter the exterior of your home. These have created holes as well.

Preparing your home for a hurricane, or natural disaster in general is never an aspect of homeownership that people want to do, but it is crucial, especially for those in areas prone to this weather. Consider any of the aforementioned tips to best protect your home if you haven’t done so already, and make sure your biggest financial investment has the best chance of withstanding heavy rains and high winds throughout the season.

Tag: Weather

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