原文开头
It may start small—a faint drip in the basement, a distant wildfire, or a storm that seems a little louder than the last. Then suddenly you’re dealing with serious damage: A flooded base- ment, an evacuation order, or a tree crashing into your home. Extreme weather is making these events more common, while everyday problems like leaky pipes and faulty appliances persist. And the conse- quences can be costly: Just 1 inch of water can cause $25,000 in damage in an average-sized home. Then there are house fires. Between 2019 and 2023, over 300,000 were reported, according to the National Fire Protec- tion Association. What you do first matters. …
摘自《消费者报告》(Consumer Reports)2026年7月刊。仅引用开头一小段供了解文章,版权归原刊所有,全文请阅读原刊。