The high winds, rains and storms caused by hurricanes can devastate communities and cause billions of dollars in destruction. Losses from hurricanes this year alone have exceeded those from almost any other natural disaster in years. The risk to your home and property can be enormous, and you really should consider hurricane damage insurance coverage if you live in a hurricane-prone area. However, in addition to insurance coverage, there are other steps you can take to prepare and minimize the damage to your property and the risk to your family that hurricanes pose.
From the Atlantic hurricane season in June until the end of November, there is a significant part of the year when you should be in some way threatened by hurricanes. Some of the preparations below will be required by insurance policies, some will not, but they will still be useful for you and your family. Some of them may even be able to lower the price of your insurance policy because the insurance company recognizes that you are safer than you otherwise would be and therefore less likely to do a claim.
<b>Be Prepared</b>
First, you need to know the terms of your insurance policy and the disaster preparedness and response plans they have. These will help you in the event that a disaster strikes or you find yourself in need of making a claim.
If you think you may need to evacuate your area, you should contact the appropriate authorities first to find out what those requirements will be. You need to have a plan formulated in advance and if there are shelters nearby, you need to know where they are and how to get there.
Keep supplies such as food, water, gasoline, portable radios, and batteries in a safe place so they are available to you in an emergency. Several flashlights with extra batteries should be included. Copies of important IDs and insurance documents would also be useful in certain situations to expedite claims in the event of large-scale devastation. Medical supplies such as aspirin and non-aspirin painkillers, antacids, bandages, gauze, and disinfectant are also helpful.
While <b>insurance is a very important step</b> you should take to protect your property and your family in the event of a disaster, there are many other steps you can take to prepare for the situation as well.
