board up
Cover with planks
To board up is to cover windows, doors, or openings with wooden boards, typically to protect against storms or secure an abandoned building: They boarded up the windows before the hurricane.
A boarded-up building suggests vacancy or neglect—storefronts board up when businesses fail, houses when neighborhoods decline.
Obstacle blocking a path
- fortifyMake stronger against threat
- secureProtected from harm
- shieldHandheld defensive armor
- safeguardPrecaution against harm
reinforce · plywood · nails · hammer · seal · barrier · blockade · cover
Violent tropical windstorm
- evacuationRemoval from danger
- plywoodEngineered layered wood panels
- emergencySerious sudden danger
- weatherproofResistant to outdoor elements
sandbags · bracing · shelter · preparedness · tarpaulin · caulk · sealant · storm surge
Unoccupied space or position
- desolationState of complete emptiness
- neglectFailure to provide care
- derelictionAbandonment of duty
- disuseCessation of practice
shutdown · closure · condemned · foreclosure · eviction · desertion · emptiness · decay
barricade
Obstacle blocking a path
safeguard · reinforce · plywood · nails · hammer · seal · barrier · blockade · cover · fence
hurricane
Violent tropical windstorm
- evacuationRemoval from danger
- plywoodEngineered layered wood panels
- emergencySerious sudden danger
weatherproof · sandbags · bracing · shelter · preparedness · tarpaulin · caulk · sealant · storm surge · landfall
vacancy
Unoccupied space or position
- desolationState of complete emptiness
- neglectFailure to provide care
- derelictionAbandonment of duty
disuse · shutdown · closure · condemned · foreclosure · eviction · desertion · emptiness · decay · deterioration