I’ve never experienced a hurricane, but I have witnessed the results of Mother Nature’s wrath when I traveled to Texas after Hurricane Ike hit. As the photo gallery shows, it can be downright scary.
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If a picture is worth 1,000 words, this gallery is worth 10,000.
Well, it’s that time of the year again. Hurricane season is right around the corner. The National Hurricane Center declared this week National Hurricane Preparedness Week. It’s a good time for all you coastal residents to start preparing your homes for a hurricane. You can even take a pledge at Ready.gov.
Why now? Preparation helps reduce stress during the hectic period leading up to a storm’s landfall. It can help guarantee the materials you need are in stock. (Some states are even offering tax breaks for hurricane supplies purchased this week.) Planning ahead helps keep you in charge.
Here are five things you can do right now:
- Know your home’s potential risk. Just because you live inland, doesn’t mean you’re immune from hurricane damage. Find out your hurricane damage history in your area and plan from there.
- Review your insurance. Do you have both home and flood insurance? Do you know what your policy covers? Call your insurance agency and discuss your coverages.
- Reinforce your home’s structure. Have a plan to protect all exterior doors and windows with either storm shutters or plywood. Purchase any plywood you’d need now.
- Plan for power loss. If you think that you’ll want a generator in case the power goes out. Do your research and consider buying one now.
- Look at your property. Do you have objects that can fly around in your yard? Is your outdoor shed anchored to a permanent foundation? Create a plan to anchor or move anything that could go airborne, including that shed.
Get more hurricane safety information, including detailed evacuation tips, in the My Great Home section of Foremost.com. And if you’re in the market for insurance, locate an agency appointed with Foremost to help.
