Before the storm:
Know Your Homeowner’s Insurance Coverage
When preparing for a natural disaster, it is extremely important to understand just what your homeowner’s insurance covers and what it doesn’t. Insurance agents can review your existing policy to identify gaps in coverage.
Assemble an Emergency Kit
An Emergency preparedness kitemergency kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.
Assemble a kit well in advance of an emergency. You may have to evacuate or take shelter at a moment’s notice, so it is important to have everything you need on hand and in one location.
Keep emergency kit items in airtight plastic bags and put your entire disaster supplies kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers, such as a camping backpack or duffel bag, for quick and easy transportation.
According to FEMA’s site ready.gov, a basic emergency kit should include the following items:
- Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days. This is necessary for both drinking and sanitation
- At least a three day supply of non-perishable food
- Manual can opener
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio. If possible, obtain a NOAA Radio with tone alert. Make sure there are extra batteries for both
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Water proof matches
- First aid kit
- At least a seven day supply of medications
- A whistle to signal for help
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
- Tools/supplies for securing home and shutting off utilities
- Copies of personal documents, including pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies
- Cell phones with chargers. If possible, have an inverter or solar charger on hand
- Family and emergency contact information
- Extra cash
- Local maps
- Blankets or sleeping bags
- Extra clothing
When assembling your emergency kit, be sure to consider the needs of all family members and add supplies as necessary. Additional suggested items include:
Medical supplies (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, etc.)
Baby supplies (bottles, formulas, baby food, diapers)
Games/activities for children
Pet supplies (collar, leash, food, bowl, etc.)
Remember, you may need to survive on your own after an emergency, so it is important that your emergency kit has food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours. Basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and telephones may be cut off for days or even weeks. The supplies in your emergency kit should help you manage during these outages.
Protecting Your Home
There are some basic things you can do to protect your home from storm damage:
Brace your home for storm damage
Install storm shutters or cover windows to prevent window breakage
Check for loose siding on your home and secure if necessary
Trim trees whose branches could fall and cause damage
Clear potential projectiles from the yard. Remove outdoor furniture, trashcans, and other loose objects that may cause harm
If you need to evacuate, turn off all utilities. Electrical sparks, natural gas leaks and explosions are responsible for a significant number of fires following disasters, so it is vital that all household members know how to shut off home utilities
Disconnect any electrical items in your home. Water and electricity don’t mix, so any device left connected is a potential fire hazard
Take a Home Inventory
While the outside of your house might be most susceptible to storm damage, your personal belongings are also at risk in a storm. Because of this, documenting your personal possessions with a home inventory is highly recommended – when you visit this page be sure to click through to Know Your Stuff® - Home Inventory, the Insurance Information Institute's free online home inventory software. Having home inventory documentation will help get your claims settled faster, verify losses and most importantly, give you the comfort of knowing that you purchased the correct amount of insurance.
Flood Damage
Floods are one of the most common hazards in the United States, so it is important to understand your exposure.
Click here to learn more about what is covered and how you can avoid flood damage.
Evacuation
There are several things that you can do to prepare in advance for an evacuation.
Click here to learn more about evacuation