We know storms like this can be nerve-wracking, especially if you don’t feel prepared. Read on to learn how to prepare for not only your personal home but for your business as well.
How to prepare your personal home:
- Create a plan. Come up with a plan for you and for family of what to do in the event the lights go out, what to do if someone gets hurt, and how to keep each other safe. Communicate this plan with everyone inside your household, as well as a trusted party that does not live with you to ensure someone knows where you and your family are for the duration of the storm.
- Create an emergency kit. There are many tutorials on how to put together an emergency kit, this is one we really like from Travelers Insurance.
- Go food shopping. This may seem daunting since everyone will be food shopping, but it is important to make sure you have foods available for you and your family that will not go bad if the power goes out. If you need some ideas for food to purchase, we like this list from RealSimple.
- Charge EVERYTHING! It is important to keep a line of communication open at all times in case of an emergency. Make sure to fill up your gas tanks in all vehicles, charge your phones, laptops, and computers, and get extra fuel for your generator if you have one. (TIP: you can charge your phone from your laptop! Just unplug the charging cord from your wall block, plug one end into your phone and the other into your laptop! The laptop does not need to be plugged in for this to work).
- Secure outdoor objects. Make sure grills, patio furniture, flowerpots or decorations are a safe distance away from your home, or stored somewhere safe like a shed or garage.
- Make sure someone in your home knows how to turn off your utilities. If you need to evacuate in the event of an emergency, it is smart to turn off the utilities in your home first to minimize other damages that could happen.
- Check your generator. Be sure to check that your generator is plugged in correctly, and is free of other objects around it. If you would like to learn more on generator safety, check out this article from Travelers Insurance.
How to prepare your business:
- Check in on your employees. Be sure to make sure that your contact information for each employee is up to date, and that they have a safe place to wait out the storm.
- Clean your office. Before you leave to go home, clean out all floor drains, catch basins, and check your sump pumps. Make sure your windows and doors are locked and if you have any materials outside, it is best to bring them in.
- Create a plan. It is important to have a plan in place before the storm happens, to make sure everyone knows what their job is after it is over. If you need help creating a plan, check out this guide from Travelers Insurance.
- Protect your valuables. If you have important records, high value equipment, or anything else of that nature, think about maybe bringing it home with you for the night, or make sure it is in a safe and secure place. For your documents, if you have time to, make sure you have a digital copy as well as this is the safest way to make sure you do not lose any information.
All of this can make sure you are as prepared as possible for the storm to come, but what do you do after? We really like this article from Travelers Insurance on what to do post-storm. Be sure to also keep track of any damage to your belongings or properties, and give us a call if you need to file a claim.
If you want to read the full articles from which we got our information, feel free to visit them by clicking the links below.
Travelers Insurance 8 Preparedness Tips with Video
Travelers Insurance Preparedness for Businesses
We hope everyone stays safe this weekend, but if something does go wrong and you need to file a claim or have any questions, feel free to give us a call at (603) 273-0953 or visit our website at keslarinsurance.com.
