Are You Prepared?

Along with flowers and warmer weather, spring can bring something that is not so pleasant—the threat of severe weather. I wanted to make sure that you and your family were aware of some important preventative tips to keep in mind if severe storms come your way this season.

  • It is best to always keep a battery-powered radio in your home so that you can tune to radio stations if you lose electricity. Do not forget to check or change the batteries every so often.
  • Keep a flashlight in an easily accessible spot on every floor of your home. Check the batteries monthly and replace them as needed.
  • Keep a supply of candles on hand in case the power goes out.
  • As a safety precaution before leaving the house on vacation, unplug all electrical appliances except for lights connected to automatic timers.
  • If you live in a storm-prone area, nail down roof shingles or use adequate adhesive to keep them from blowing off in a violent wind. For roofs with shingles that are not the seal-down type, applying a little dab of roofing cement under each tab will do the trick.
  • A lightning-protection system should offer an easy, direct path for the bolt to follow into the ground and thus prevent injury or damage. Grounding rods (at least two for a house) should be placed at opposite corners of the house.
  • Do not go out during a tornado or hurricane. If there is the possibility of flooding, get to higher ground.
  • When a major storm is on its way, close shutters, board windows, or tape the inside of larger panes with an “X” along the full length of their diagonals. Even a light material like masking tape may give the glass enough extra strength it needs to resist cracking.

On top of the safety of your family, the safety of your house and property are important too. In case anything in your home is damaged, it is important that you have taken steps to keep those items safe.

If you must make a claim, you will need the following:

  • Pictures or video of items of value
  • Receipts for large purchases
  • Serial numbers for the items that require them

You will want to make sure to keep all records in a safe place – like a fire safe lock box or a safety deposit box.

Hope you have a great Spring!

This entry was posted in Articles. Bookmark the permalink. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.