Hurricanes can cause great damage. Last year alone, there were 15 named storms and 7 hurricanes that raised concern. It’s important to ensure you protect yourself, your family, and your home if a hurricane does occur. A hurricane is considered a strong storm that has high winds, heavy rainfall, potential flooding and much more with hurricane season running from June 1st to November 30th. Is your family fully prepared for an unexpected hurricane and what needs to be done following it? Continue reading to find out.
Flood Preparation
Preparing in advance for a potential flood can make a big difference. A few steps that can be taken in advance of any hurricane or natural disaster that could lead to major flooding include:
- Emergency Kit: If you live in a high-risk area for hurricanes and floods, it is crucial to have an emergency preparedness kit. This typically includes water, food, flashlights, battery or hand-crank radio, extra batteries, first aid kit, multi-purpose tool, hygiene and toiletries, blanket, and anything your family may need to ensure safety during the flood.
- Talk with Your Family: It is important to regularly talk to your family regarding what to do in the case of natural disasters and evacuation plans that can be used if necessary.
- Sandbags: Building a wall of sandbags around your home can help keep flood water out of your home. Plan ahead and have supplies on hand to fill sandbags to protect your home.
Recovery Tips
Even after taking the necessary precautions prior to a hurricane, there can still be damage done to your home and town. When dealing with the aftermath, follow these tips to make the hurricane clean up as smooth as possible:
- Wear Protective Clothing and Gloves: Be cautious when you are cleaning up following a flood. Wearing protective clothing: rubber gloves and boots can help protect you from the potentially contaminated water.
- Educate Yourself: Prior to diving into to clean up mode, make sure you know what you’re doing. Educate yourself on the proper ways to repair water damage and frequently used surfaces.
- Pump Out Water: If your basement floods following a hurricane, the water will need to be pumped out. However, it is important to note that you should not pump all of the water out in a short period of time. Rather, you should pump about one-third of the water per day to help avoid any major structural damage.
- Dispose of Items Exposed to Water: It is key to dispose of any items that have absorbed water and can’t be cleaned thoroughly.
- Be Careful Moving Items: If items in your home have absorbed water, they may become heavier than usual. So, it is important to be careful when moving large items to prevent any injuries.
Benefits of Flood Insurance
Basic homeowners insurance will not cover the damages and claims that are caused by floods. Rather, flood insurance will cover most losses to your home that were caused by flooding. Flood insurance can come in handy when dealing with situations such as hurricanes. It can help you recover items lost and damaged due to floods, and ease the hassle of coming back from flood damages.
Still looking to learn more about preparation steps, recovery tips and how flood insurance can help you? Contact us at TJ Woods Insurance today. We’re always here to answer all of your questions.
