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Prepare for Spring Storms - Tips for Business Owners and Home Owners
5/17/2019 (Permalink)
Spring is a great time of the year. Brown grass turns green. Trees and bushes burst with buds. Flowers poke up through the soil. But not all is this serene. Spring also brings lightning storms, tornadoes, floods and hurricanes.
Are you prepared for the losses that could occur in your home? If you are a business owner, have you taken precautions to help keep your employees from being at risk? Taking that one step further, are you prepared so you don't have to shut down your business for a few days, weeks or even possibly permanently?
For your business:
- Review your Evacuation and Take Cover procedures with your employees.
- Review your Business Continuity Plan so this information is fresh in your mind.
- Determine if your asset inventory is up to date.
- Check the exterior of your building. Secure loose siding, shutters and shingles.
- Inspect trees and trim branches that are brushing against the building or could fall and take down a power line.
- Inspect the interior of your facility for structural integrity. If you discover any problems areas, contact a general contractor.
- When a severe storm is imminent, ensure that you have plenty of plywood, nails, tarps and any other supplies appropriate for your area of the country and the type of storm developing.
- Purchase a generator if you don't already have one.
These easy steps will help you ensure everyone's safety and reduce the amount of damage you'll experience. Additionally, you'll most likely be able to be back in business much faster since you were properly prepared for the worst when it finally does happen.
For your home:
Purchase a generator. This may seem like a frivolous expense, but it can be used for so many different disasters. When there is a severe hurricane or tornado, you could be without power for weeks. Think of all the items in your house that require electricity: appliances, electronics, power tools, lights and heaters. Imagine not having a refrigerator or television for more than a couple hours. Now think of how your life will be if you are without them for days or even longer.
Other items to consider when preparing your residence for the spring storm season:
- Talk to your family about your Take Cover and Fire Escape plans. Be sure to include even the youngest child. Talking about it when calm and not "in the moment" will give them a sense of security. Assign someone the responsibility of the family pet.
- Review your personal property, or home, inventory to ensure that all recently purchased items have been added. If they haven't, contact your inventory service provider to update your file.
- Call our insurance agent if you have made any major updates to your home in the past year. The worst time to find you are underinsured is when you're filing a claim.
- Inspect the exterior of your home and tack down any loose shingles, shutters or siding.
- Look at all of your trees and shrubs. Cut back any branches that are up against the house. Cut off or trim branches of trees that could fall on power lines.
- When you are facing a storm that requires extra reinforcement, purchase the supplies appropriate for your geographic area and the type of storm you are facing.
Home owner or business owner - or both - being prepared before the storm is bearing down will help you in many ways. You'll be at ease financially, emotionally and have a comfort level from knowing that you're ready.
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