The entire country has experienced its fair share of crazy weather in recent years, which makes preparing your home for a natural disaster a smart and responsible thing to do. Natural disasters can strike at any time, bringing with them severe flooding and other perils. And while it isn’t possible to prevent natural disasters from happening, you can set your mind at ease by preparing your home and your family for potential problems down the road.
Plan for the Worst
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Hope for the best but plan for the worst.” Having a disaster plan in place is a good idea — and every family member should be abreast of the plan. Your plan should include a meeting spot for family to reconnect, a list of emergency contacts, information on shelters in the area, and information on evacuation routes. Remember to also have a plan for your pets. Purchase and keep supplies on hand for tarping and boarding up your home when severe weather is imminent.
Keep a Supply Kit Ready
When natural disasters strike, roads can be cut off for days at a time due to flooding or downed trees. Build and store an emergency supply kit that contains a minimum of three days of supplies, including nonperishable drinks and food, a first-aid kit, medicines, pet food, flashlights and batteries, a solar phone charger, and a battery-operated radio.
Brush Up on Your Insurance
Review your insurance policy to be sure that it has adequate coverage. Most homeowners policies cover wind and fire damage, but many fail to cover flooding without a separate rider or policy amendment.
Keep Documents Handy and Safe
If your home is lost due to flooding, wind, or fire, you want to be sure that you have important documents that you’ll need when filing a claim. Keep these documents in a fireproof safe or in a bank safety deposit box. Think about adding birth certificates, social security cards, deeds, and marriage certificates to your safe place, too, since these are critical documents for many services you may need in the event of a natural disaster.
If your home experiences flooding, finding a professional restoration crew that you can trust is important. Call on the pros at ServiceMaster Restore for top-notch structural and content cleaning, including mold cleanup and restoration in the aftermath of flooding and other natural disasters.
