Hurricane season returns every year, but not every homeowner in Florida is prepared for it. Don’t wait for the first big storm to approach before you prepare yourself and your family.
Hurricanes don’t sneak up on you, but even with a few days’ notice, it’s difficult to get supplies. By the time you hear about the approaching storm, everyone else will, too.
It may be difficult to get these disaster supplies on short notice:
It’s not unusual to see empty aisles at the grocery store before the storm. Hurricane season officially begins on June 1st, and that’s a good time to check your supplies. Storms and power outages can happen any time of the year, which is why your disaster kit needs to be ready at all times.
Hurricanes can devastate communities when they come through Florida, but the problems aren’t over when they leave. Depending on the severity and length of the storm, you could struggle with power and water outages for days. Crews will work to restore power as soon as it’s safe to do so, but it takes time.
To prepare for power outages, you should have plenty of canned and dry food storage and drinking water. A gasoline-powered generator, camping cooktop, or barbeque can help you prepare food without readily available electricity.
In the event a hurricane damages or destroys your home, you want to make sure your homeowners' insurance is up to date. The policy specifies how much your dwelling is insured for. Frequently, the policy covers the sales price or the current value of your home.
But if your house is destroyed as the result of a storm and you have to rebuild, you probably won’t be able to construct the same home for that price. Building costs and labor rates have increased since your house was built. Make sure your home insurance covers the cost of rebuilding the home before the storm hits, just in case.
Home insurance generally covers storm damage and even water damage if it’s caused by rain coming into the house. However, hurricanes can also cause water levels to rise, leading to flooding in your area. Water can cause extensive damage in a short period of time.
Unless you already have flood insurance, water damage to your home or belongings isn’t covered if the water is coming in along the ground.
Don’t wait for disaster to strike before you determine what your policy covers and what it doesn’t. If you’re in a high-risk flood zone, flood insurance is worth it. And if you aren’t, it’s not that expensive and provides considerable peace of mind.
It’s important to stay up to date with weather warnings to keep yourself and your family safe. But you should also take steps to protect your home by verifying your insurance coverage before the next storm hits.
The above description(s) provide(s) a brief overview of the terms and phrases used within the insurance industry. These definitions are not applicable in all states or for all insurance and financial products. This is not an insurance contract. Other terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Please read your official policy for full details about coverages. These definitions do not alter or modify the terms of any insurance contract. If there is any conflict between these definitions and the provisions of the applicable insurance policy, the terms of the policy control.