How to prepare before disaster strikes

Now is the time to prepare for hurricane season that begins on June 1st! While you can’t stop a hurricane or tropical storm from landfall, you can follow our guide below to learn how to keep you home, your loved ones and yourself safe before disaster strikes.

Don’t Delay! – When it comes to hurricane season, you never know what will happen from year to year. Instead of waiting for a Category 2 or 4 to hit before stocking up, beat the crowds and get your essentials now.

Have a plan – In some situations, you may be required to evacuate immediately. Conduct a family meeting in advance where you all can discuss an evacuation plan. If you have pets, make sure to include them in the evacuation plan as well. By preparing early, everyone in your family will know what to do and where to be in case you need to put your plan into action.

Stock up on non-perishable items – Do not wait until the last minute to gather your essential non-perishable items. Start shopping early so you can beat the crowd and ensure that you have everything you may need. We’ve compiled a handy Hurricane Supply List here. 

Secure your home – Keep trees near your home trimmed and tidy, bring in patio furniture or any other loose outdoor furniture, board up your windows and move your car(s) to higher ground or inside the garage if possible.

Review your homeowners insurance policy - A standard homeowners insurance policy includes four essential types of coverage:

1. Coverage for the structure of your home.  

2. Coverage for your personal belongings.  

3. Liability protection. 

4. Additional living expenses in the event you are temporarily unable to live in your home because of a fire or other insured disaster.

Flooding is not included in the standard policy so you may want to highly consider purchasing flood insurance if you do not already have it, even if you do not live in a high-risk flood zone. If you do choose to purchase flood insurance for your home, the National Flood Insurance Program offers two different types of coverage – building and contents coverage. To find out what is covered under each type of coverage, click here. 

Get an emergency bag together – When a hurricane is on the way, you may find yourself in a position where you may need to evacuate right away. Save yourself the last minute stress and pack an emergency bag for you and your family (and don’t forget about your furry loved ones!) By packing in advance, you can rest assured that you have everything prepared to get your family to safety as soon as possible. Some essential items to pack in your emergency bag are: clothing, birth certificates, passports, marriage licenses, insurance policies, medications, and essential electronics.

Tap into technology – In the event that a hurricane or tropical storm makes landfall, you can always get up to date hurricane info from your local news channel, your cell phone, the radio and even social media!

You can also find other resources pertaining to Hurricane Preparedness such as the CDC Hurricane Website, FEMA, and Weather.gov.