A little over a year ago today, slammed Connecticut and many other areas. The
storm left families and businesses with extensive damages and without power for an extended period of time.
Prior to Irene, the winter had to
many homes and businesses due to record snow fall. Then, to add insult to injury, a barreled into Connecticut after Irene and caused more damage and power outages. Many homes and business owners across the state found themselves unprepared to handle and recover from a variety of challenges associated with these natural disasters.
If you, your family, and or your business haven’t pledged to prepare there isn’t a better time to do so then right now.
Below are some major considerations that we suggest. Please read them over and prepare for the possibility of the challenges associated with a natural disaster like a
hurricane or a snow storm…
- Build an emergency kit and develop a family emergency plan
- Learn your community’s evacuation routes and
determine where you would go and how you would get there if you needed to
evacuate. - Learn your community’s plans for providing
emergency shelter. - Make plans to secure your property.
- Clear gutters and downspouts to avoid leakage to
the interior of your home. - Bring in all outdoor furniture and items.
- Have your generator installed professionally for
emergencies. Read about using
portable generators safely. - Even if a disaster is not expected, consumers
should always speak with their insurance providers to be sure they clearly
understand what their homeowner’s policy covers in the event of a claim. - Consider the need for flood insurance. Flood damage is excluded under standard
homeowners and renters insurance policies.
Speak with an insurance professional about your flood risk. You can also visit Flooding
& Flood Risks at the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) website to learn more. Approximately 20% of flood claims are generated from those who are considered to be in a preferred risk zone totaling about one third of disaster assistance from the government and lengthy wait times for recovery. Be informed. Be prepared.
We also recommend creating a home inventory to assist with the process of filing a claim if one should occur. You can visit us at www.vfmcneil.com/homeowners to learn more and to use our available tools.
Or, if you are a Smartphone user, you can download the free Trusted Choice Mobile App to help you create
your own home inventory. Another helpful and free App just introduced by the Insurance Information Institute that can help protect you and your family is the “Know Your Plan” – Disaster Prep App for the iPhone.
Whether it’s a hurricane, severe winter weather, or some
other form of natural disaster coming our way, the new “Know Your Plan” app provides consumers with a library of preloaded checklists to learn about important property and protection preparedness steps. Customized lists can also be built from scratch. One of the other cool features of the app is that in the event of a disaster, users will be able to access a geographically targeted emergency alert feed guiding them to up-to-the-minute information about local evacuation routes and other important details about the disaster.
Check it out today and pledge to be prepared!
