Natural and man-made disasters can occur at any time and usually with little or no warning. Preparation is key to protecting your family and your personal property. Waiting to create an emergency preparedness plan could affect your physical safety and financial security in the event of a serious disaster. Below we list some of the ways your family can be ready should the unexpected become a reality.
Learn How and Where to Seek Safety
In an emergency, everyone in the family should know exactly how and where to seek safety. Walk through your home together with each family member, pointing out every possible way of escape in the event of a fire. If you live in an area prone to specific weather threats, such as tornadoes or earthquakes, learn the safest ways of taking shelter during those events. Your family should be educated on disaster warning signals within your community, as well as any local shelters or evacuation routes within your area.
Create Communication Contact Points
The most important thing in an emergency is ensuring both you and your family members are safe. In the event that you become separated without access to cellular phone service, your family should have at least two meeting points — a primary meeting place within your neighborhood and a secondary meeting point in case you are asked to evacuate the area. As an extra precaution, establish an out-of-area phone contact whom each person in your family can text or call to check-in with if local phone lines are overloaded. Alternatively, you can call the Red Cross at 1-800-RED CROSS to register you or your family as ‘safe’ during a disaster.
Protect Your Belongings
Once you have taken precautions to protect yourself in a disaster, the next step is to protect your finances. Your home, cars and personal belongings may be severely damaged or even total losses during a disaster, such as a fire, earthquake, tornado or flood. Though you may not be able to prevent damage from occurring, having the right insurance policy can ensure your belongings are paid for and replaced when you suffer a covered loss. For more information about finding the right insurance to cover your family during a disaster, contact our office today.
Create an Emergency Kit
Resources often become limited in the event of an emergency. Never rely on local retailers having inventory to sustain your family during a disaster. Take steps now to create an emergency kit, complete with the following items:
- flashlights
- extra batteries
- battery-operated radio
- several gallons of water per person
- non-perishable food
- first-aid kit
- whistle (to signal for help)
- personal hygiene items
- cash or traveler’s checks
- paper and a pencil
- disinfectant
The information in this article was obtained from various sources. This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements, nor is it intended to replace manuals or instructions provided by the manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional. The definitions, terms and coverage in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and such policy will be governed by the language contained therein. No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.
