Severe weather can strike with little warning, bringing hurricanes, flooding and power outages that can disrupt your home and put your family at risk. As major storms continue to affect communities, preparing before a hurricane arrives can help protect the people and property that matter most.
Although more people are taking these storms seriously and preparing, a recent poll showed that at least 75% of people wished they had been more prepared. 52% wanted more food and water; 47% desired flashlights, batteries and phone chargers; and 66% wished they had backup power for their home.
People who were polled said that 50% had to leave their homes for over a week and stay in a hotel with an average cost of close to $600. A significant 66% wished they had backup power for their home. Now as much as a hurricane can cause damage to your home or business, it’s the emotional damage that genuinely takes a toll.
How to Prepare Your Family for Severe Weather
Gather your family and sit them down and put together a plan for severe weather. Follow these three steps to make sure your family can be as prepared as possible.
- Prepare a disaster kit for every member of your family. Not just the adults, but for your kids and pets. Adults should keep a separate kit in the car and the kids should have an extra kit for school. Include bottled water, nonperishable food, medication and a flashlight with fresh batteries. Use Ready.gov’s emergency supply kit guide to identify other important supplies your family may need.
- Find out if you’re in a flood zone; if so, make sure you get insurance as soon as you can, as the policy takes about 30 days to go into effect.
- The number one cause of power outages in the country is due to weather. Install a backup generator or have your existing one serviced to make sure you can keep your sump pumps and refrigerators running. Although having a portable generator is handy, having a home standby generator turns on automatically when the power goes out.
Don’t let these storms get the better of you. Prepare yourself and your family by following these steps. If you need advice, assistance or to have a generator installed, please contact us.