Hurricane Harvey has been a major wake-up call to individuals and families across the country about their own level of preparedness in the face of a natural disaster. Improved technology has made it slightly easier to predict certain types of natural disasters and their expected pathways, but it's still next to impossible to predict their full impact or level of destruction. For example, Texas residents knew several days in advance that Hurricane Harvey was approaching our coast, but no one knew that we would receive multiple tornadoes and catastrophic, record-shattering flooding.
For those in Houston and around the nation who have been spared so far from hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes, or devastating floods, now is the time to assess possible vulnerabilities and make plans in the event of the next natural disaster. In today's blog post, we'll look at what individuals and families can do to better prepare for natural disasters to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their property.
Make Plans Early
Uncertainty with natural disasters means individuals and families need to make plans early for all possible scenarios based the natural disasters most likely to impact their area. If you're in southern Texas, you might not need to make plans for earthquakes or blizzards, but you do need to make plans for hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, and wildfires. These plans should include when and where to evacuate in the event of a hurricane or wildfire, identifying the safest area of the house to hide during a tornado, and learning if your home lies in a potential flood zone. Early planning can help save lives when minutes and seconds may count.
Consider The Needs Of Children, Elderly, and Pets
Some of the most vulnerable victims of natural disasters are the elderly, children, and pets. Often in the rush of evacuating or preparing for a natural disaster, it can be easy for parents, caregivers, or pet owners to forget the extra things they need to stock up on or bring with them in the event of an evacuation. For example, things like baby formula, diapers, medicine, prescription glasses, medical devices, pet medicine, and pet food may need to be brought or stored safely in the event of a natural disaster.
Protect Important Paperwork and Valuables
Although we live in an age of digital records and files, important papers and pictures are still valuable and worth protecting from natural disasters like floods, fires, or tornadoes. For example, papers such as a marriage license, birth certificates, passports, car titles, social security cards, stocks and bonds, and insurance or financial records should all be stored securely in a fire and waterproof safe, as well as having digital copies stored off site on a cloud-based server. The same goes for valuable pictures, such as wedding albums, baby pictures, and heirloom family photos, and also other small valuables such as baby mementos and jewelry.
Get Insurance and Financial Affairs In Order
Finally, individuals and families can make great strides in protecting themselves and their property before natural disasters strike with quality Personal Insurance coverage to meet their specific needs. For example, homeowners should make sure they have adequate Homeowners Insurance coverage, as well as Flood Insurance if they live in or near flood-prone areas. In addition, apartment renters should have Renter's Insurance, and both homeowners and renters should have Life Insurance in the event of a loss of life.
Preparing for natural disasters might not be the most fun and exciting thing you'll do this year, but it can pay off tremendously for the peace of mind and financial security it offers. Aegis can help homeowners and renters get the reliable, top quality Personal Insurance coverage needed to protect from a wide range of natural disasters and life events. Contact Aegis today at 713-850-7622 to learn about our full suite of Personal Insurance policies, or complete our online form to request a free quote!