Bad weather is no joke. It can destroy years of hard work on your home, yard and even cause tremendous damage to your property. Watching the weather reports is a good start to staying aware of what is coming; however, being prepared for bad weather is a step that should not be overlooked. Hurricane Matthew is predicted to now miss Southern New England contrary to earlier weather forecasts. As we all know, the weather has a mind of its own. If you have family, friends or both in areas still expected to be hit by the storm, please share these tips with them. Having a plan of action is key. Here are some tips to get your family and property ready for a visit from Matthew or any relevant storm.
I. Outside preparations:
- Clean your yard of any items that could become missiles in a storm such as container plants, hanging baskets, tools, lawn furniture, garden art, grills, lawn furniture, swing sets, toys, bicycles, bird feeders, wind chimes etc
- Tighten up loose shutters, secure porch posts, light posts and clear and secure drainage pipes
- Keep trees and shrubs neatly trimmed so wind gusts can move through the branches easily
- Make sure outdoor structures such as children’s play houses or tool sheds are securely anchored
- Have plywood ready to cover windows and sliding doors
II. Have an emergency kit ready with some of the following items.
- Bottled water
- Non-perishable food for 3 days
- Canned goods & manual can opener
- Batteries
- Flashlights
- First aid kit
- Pet food
- Whistle
- Pliers or wrench to shut off utilities
- Cell phone & current list of contacts
III. Take pictures / video of your entire home in the event that you need to file a claim
- Update your home inventory list or create one before the storm
- Make sure your insurance policy has the proper coverage
IV. Store your important documents where you can easily access them
Being prepared for any risk or storm is always a good idea. For more information on what to before a storm you may visit any of the links in this article or the links below. To check or add coverage to your existing policy, call any of our FBinsure offices.
