Your best defense against natural disasters is to be prepared and informed. By using the checklists and tips below, your family and your business will be better prepared if a hurricane strikes.
Prepare Your Business
- Emergency Hurricane Preparation Checklist for Business Owners
- Are you prepared if Disaster Strikes?
- Prepare Your Organization for Hurricane Safety
Visit www.ready.gov for program management, planning, implementation, testing and exercises, and program improvement ideas.
Prepare at Home
- Family Emergency Plan
- Build an Emergency Supply Kit Checklist
- Hurricane Preparation at Home: Safeguards for a disaster.
- Don’t leave your animals behind! Prepare for Emergencies Now: Information for Pet Owners.
- Red Cross Hurricane Safety Checklist
- Family Disaster Plan
Flooding
- Make Flood Safety a Priority: What to do before, during and after a flood. Also in Spanish.
- Flood Preparation Precautions.
What to do after the storm?
- Make sure your home is secure?
- Be careful about attempting to cover openings or damage yourself
- Contact a local contractor for emergency board up and assessment. TriSure can provide a list of local contractors in the area if you desire.
- SAFELY take pictures of the damage. The more the better. We will work to get your insurance company on-site as soon as possible. In the meantime, photos are the best solution.
- If possible, SAFELY secure your property. IF you cannot do this yourself, wait on the Contractor.
- Use your Five Senses
- Do you smell gas? Leave the area and contact the gas company. Do not attempt to turn on any lights, generators and thermostats.
- Do you see disoriented wild or domestic animals? Stay away and watch out for animals displaced by the water, such as mice, rats and snakes.
- Do you see downed power lines or frayed wires? Stay away and wait for the electric company and/or your contractor.
- Do you hear strange sounds such as creaks in your building, gas or water leaking, injured animals or people?
- Use portable gas-powered electric generators only outside on a dry, level and well-ventilated area.
Important notes from www.ready.gov/hurricanes
After a Hurricane
- Continue listening to a NOAA Weather Radio or the local news for the latest updates.
- Stay alert for extended rainfall and subsequent flooding even after the hurricane or tropical storm has ended.
- If you have become separated from your family, use your family communications plan or contact the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS/1-800-733-2767 or visit the American Red Cross Safe and Well site: www.safeandwell.org
- The American Red Cross also maintains a database to help you find family. Contact the local American Red Cross chapter where you are staying for information. Do not contact the chapter in the disaster area.
- If you evacuated, return home only when officials say it is safe.
- If you cannot return home and have immediate housing needs. Text SHELTER + your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA) to find the nearest shelter in your area (example: shelter 12345).
- For those who have longer-term housing needs, FEMA offers several types of assistance, including services and grants to help people repair their homes and find replacement housing. Apply for assistance or search for information about housing rental resources
- Drive only if necessary and avoid flooded roads and washed¬ out bridges. Stay off the streets. If you must go out watch for fallen objects; downed electrical wires; and weakened walls, bridges, roads, and sidewalks.
- Keep away from loose or dangling power lines and report them immediately to the power company.
- Walk carefully around the outside your home and check for loose power lines, gas leaks and structural damage before entering.
- Stay out of any building if you smell gas, floodwaters remain around the building or your home was damaged by fire and the authorities have not declared it safe.
- Inspect your home for damage. Take pictures of damage, both of the building and its contents, for insurance purposes. If you have any doubts about safety, have your residence inspected by a qualified building inspector or structural engineer before entering.
- Use battery-powered flashlights in the dark. Do NOT use candles. Note: The flashlight should be turned on outside before entering – the battery may produce a spark that could ignite leaking gas, if present.
- Watch your pets closely and keep them under your direct control. Watch out for wild animals, especially poisonous snakes. Use a stick to poke through debris.
- Avoid drinking or preparing food with tap water until you are sure it’s not contaminated.
- Check refrigerated food for spoilage. If in doubt, throw it out.
- Wear protective clothing and be cautious when cleaning up to avoid injury.
- Use the telephone only for emergency calls.
- NEVER use a generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, or similar areas, even when using fans or opening doors and windows for ventilation. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide can quickly build up in these areas and can linger for hours, even after the generator has shut off.
**Your Property policies do not cover floods. Flooding can happen anywhere at any time, so make sure you have a flood policy in place. Typically, there is a 30-day waiting period from date of purchase before your flood policy goes into effect. Contact us if you are interested in a flood quote.**
Property Claim Instructions
- Protect property from further damage.
- Cover the property if it is exposed to the elements.
- Make temporary repairs, if reasonable and necessary, to protect the property from further damage.
- Maintain a record of all expenses incurred.
- Separate damaged from undamaged personal property.
- Take photos of damage (if possible)
- Prepare an inventory of damaged person property.
- List quantity, description, and value.
- Attach bills, receipts, estimates, and related documents.
- Retain damaged property until a claims adjuster approves its disposal (unless
a danger to safety exists).- The adjuster may need to inspect the property.
- The insurance company may be able to salvage the damaged property.
- Notify police in the case of theft.
- Expect to be contacted by the claims adjuster within two working days.
Please call TriSure Corporation if you have not been contacted within that
timeframe.- If the damage significantly affects your continuing operations, we will
request that the insurance carrier expedite your claim. - Please let us know immediately if your circumstances change and thisloss will have a greater impact on your business than originally anticipated.
- If the damage significantly affects your continuing operations, we will
- Be prepared to provide additional information as requested by the claims
adjuster.
Gather Vital Insurance Information
Including policy numbers, insurance carrier, and the name and number of your TriSure Representative. Please call our office at 919-469-2473 or 800-277-7702 if we can help you gather this information.