With hurricanes Harvey and Irma grabbing the news headlines of late, it’s a timely reminder of just how vulnerable we all are at any time and place to mother nature. September is National Preparedness Month, an initiative sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as part of the national Ready campaign. The 2017 theme is “Disasters Don’t Plan Ahead. You Can.” The goal of this campaign is to help as many people as possible learn which hazards can strike in their area, how to stay safe and minimize damage, and increase their preparedness.
There is still time left this month to start planning for the unexpected and there’s always more we can do to better prepare ourselves, our places of business, our homes, and our families. It’s vitally important, and necessary for you to know what to do to prepare for any disaster. If you’re not prepared when chaos arrives, it could be too late to do anything at all. Here are some important tips to remember.
Create a Home/Business Disaster Recovery Plan
This plan should include a list of emergency contacts, a communication plan, emergency supply kit, and an evacuation/safe location plan. Read more >>
Always be on the Alert for a Disaster
Knowing weather conditions, emergency events and purchasing detectors can make a difference on when to know to take action to be safe.
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Sign up for text message emergency alerts
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Watch/listen to your local news daily
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Watch social media
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Buy fire, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors (Some modern detectors can now text you if your home or business is experiencing a disaster)
Know the Warning Signs
Whiling staying updated, be sure to know all weather and emergency warning signs. This can also make a difference on when to take action to be safe.
Keep Important Information Together
Consider what personal and financial documents you will need in case you are unable to access your home for a significant period of time.
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Personal Identification
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Medical Documentation
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Insurance Documentation
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Financial Documentation
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Pet Documentation
Keep these documents in a secure, waterproof container that will be easy to transport in the event of an emergency evacuation. You should also consider creating electronic copies that are kept somewhere you can access when away from your home, such as in your e-mail account or on a cloud storage service.
For more information browse this page.
We support National Preparedness Month and believe in the value of proactivity. If you have experienced property damage from severe weather, contact the disaster recovery experts at Xtreme Home Improvement. We’re available any time of day or night.