Hurricane Season Preparation

Hurricane Season Preparation in Florida

Including Brandon, Tampa, Riverview and other Florida Cities

The 2015 Hurricane season starts June 1 and runs until November 30. If you haven’t started, you need to prepare now.

Hurricane Emergency Kit

If you don’t have a hurricane emergency kit you could find yourself is a very bad situation. This is not meant to be a complete list, but a starting point.

Water and non-perishable food. You should have enough to supply the needs of each member of you family for a minimum of three days–don’t forget the needs of your pets as well.
First aid kit–don’t forget any prescription medicines, extra glasses etc.
Battery operated radio and spare batteries–the radio will allow you to get important updates from local officials.
Flashlights and batteries.
Cash.
Important documents in a waterproof container.
Blankets and/or sleeping bags.
A change of clothes and rain gear for each person.
Coolers and ice.
Games, books, cards–something to pass the time.
If you have a generator–make sure you also have gasoline.

Get Your Homeowners Insurance Coverage Ready for Hurricane Season

Do you have flood coverage? Homeowners insurance does not include flood insurance, it must be purchased separately through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Just because you haven’t experienced a flood in the past doesn’t mean you won’t in the future. Don’t forget, in many cases, you will have to wait 30 days after you purchase flood insurance for coverage to take effect. You can get more information about flood insurance at the NFIP website at www.floodsmart.gov, or you can call our office for a quote.

Do you have coverage for additional living expenses? This coverage will pay the increased costs such as for a place to stay and food, associated with living outside your home if you are unable to live in your home because of a covered loss. Give us a call at L&M Insurance Group to see if you have this coverage on your policy.

Do you have contents coverage? This coverage typically refers to property you own, your “stuff.” If you have contents coverage, you should consider doing a home inventory of what you own–this will make filing a claim easier and will help ensure you don’t forget anything. The simplest way is to take a video of your possessions–room by room. Or if you like, just snap photos and write down some notes. Keeping track of receipts, model numbers and stores where you made your purchases is a good idea. Don’t forget to keep the photos or video in a safe place outside your home.

Protect Your Property

First of all, have your insurance company claim phone number handy as well as your policy number. There are many, many things you can do in advance to protect your property–simple things from bringing in outdoor furniture that can be easily picked up in the wind and thrown through a window, to having your trees trimmed so they don’t fall on your home. There are more complicated measures you can take like boarding up your windows or installing hurricane straps/clips to help your roof stay connected to the walls of your home. Further research online can give you more comprehensive suggestions to protect your home.