| When severe storms are on the way…are you prepared?
The summer months are times for playing outside, laying by the pool, and yard work. Unfortunately, they can also bring severe weather including thunderstorms, hail, floods, and tornadoes which can cause considerable damage to your home, care, and property. Make sure you are prepared for any situation – below are a few tips that can help!
- Ensure you have adequate coverage and deductibles that are reasonable for your needs
- Put together an inventory of your home and belongings
- Check your policy for “loss of use” or “additional expense” coverage to help pay for temporary housing if needed
- Create and emergency plan including places your family will meet in the event of a severe storm
- Keep basic supplies on hand like water, food, flashlights, and a battery-operated radio
After the storm, make sure to call your insurance agent as soon as you can to asses any damage. While staying safe, try to protect your property, salvage what you can, and closely inspect your property and cars for damage. Take notes and photos of damage to assist in settling claims.
When severe storms are on the way…is your child prepared?
Dealing with disaster is never easy as an adult, so think about how difficult it is for a child to process. Though kids may not understand the importance of running through drills or discussing emergency plans in advance of an actual emergency, it’s absolutely crucial that they know what to do if a storm blows in. But where do you start?
If you haven’t already, sit down with your whole family to develop a disaster plan. Children like to feel like they’re a part of things, so ask for their input. Your family’s plan should include where to go, what to do and how to communicate with each other or the authorities during a variety of disaster situations including tornadoes, fires, floods and other severe weather.
Children especially need step-by-step instructions and hands-on training to prepare for a disaster. Apart from routine drills, show them how to dial 911 and walk them through what to say for a variety of emergencies. Teach them to use a fire extinguisher using the acronym PASS, which stands for 1) pull the pin, 2) aim the nozzle at the base of the fire, 3) squeeze the trigger and 4) sweep the nozzle side to side. For good measure, older children should also be taught how to turn off the water, gas and electricity as well. If you have a disaster supply kit, children should know where it’s located and how/when to use the items inside.
Talks about disaster preparedness should be thorough enough for children to remember the information during an actual emergency situation. Stress the fact that when disaster strikes, the family may not be together; the adults may be at work and the children may be at school. No matter how scared and worried the children are, explain that it is too dangerous to attempt to go home or find a parent. Rather, they should stay with the nearby adults and trust them for further instructions until the danger has passed.
If a disaster does occur, children are more equipped to cope if they understand what occurred and why. Ask them what they already know and explain the basics in a simple way, such as how the lights won’t turn on because a tree fell on top of the electrical wires. Follow that up with what’s being done to resolve the problem, such as repair crews are on their way to fix the electrical wires.
And, as always, if you need to file a claim, we’re here to help you get back to normal as quickly as possible.
Contact us today with any questions!
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