Living in Florida comes with great perks – beautiful weather, flip-flops, warm weather most of the time, the water, the sun, the lifestyle. I could go on and on. No place is perfect, and in Florida, we face hurricane season from June 1 through November 30 every year. And we face it like Floridians – we prepare for possible disaster but we don’t let it stop us from enjoying everything the Sunshine State has to offer.
According to a recent Realtor® Magazine article, hurricanes could put 6.5 million homes at risk in the United States this year. Florida has the highest number of potential homes at risk for storm surge damage – 2.5 million. Two reasons for this – our love of beach living and the fact that we’re surrounded on three sides by water.
There’s no need to panic, though. Anyone who’s lived in Florida long enough understands the risks associated with hurricanes. With a bit of preparation, you can protect yourself and your family in the event of a storm.
Check Your Insurance Coverage
- Know what your insurance covers and what it doesn’t. You may not be required to carry flood insurance, but if you live in an area that you know is prone to flooding, it may be something to consider.
- Check your coverage to see if your policy pays “replacement cost” or “cash value” for your damaged property.
- Keep copies of your insurance policy information close so you can put your hands on them if necessary.
- Understand that changes can’t be made to your insurance if there is a storm approaching and that when you do make changes, it can take 30 days for those changes to apply.
Put Together Your Preparedness Kit
Whether you think you’ll evacuate or not, put together a kit of items to help you deal with the aftermath of a storm – lack of electricity, lack of access to clean water, and lack of help, depending on the severity of the hurricane.
Include these things in your kit:
- At least a 3-day and preferably a 7-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day)
- Non-perishable food
- Formula, diapers, and other baby supplies – if needed
- Manual can opener
- First aid kit
- Prescription and non-prescription medicines
- Toiletries
- Cell phones and battery-powered cell phone chargers
- Battery-powered radios and flashlights
- Plenty of batteries
- Extra cash
- Blankets, sleeping bags, books, and games (especially if evacuating)
Source: Weather.com
Prepare Your Property
In the event that a storm will make landfall, there are things you can do to minimize some of the damage that could occur.
- Remove loose or fallen tree limbs from your property and trim your trees
- Put away anything loose in your yard – tools, patio furniture, toys, plants, etc.
- Fill your car with gas and any spare gas cans you may have – in case of a shortage after the storm.
- Consider installing storm windows or covering your windows with plywood.
- Gather all important papers – insurance policies and other important papers – and place into a plastic bag for protection. Keep these with you at all times during the storm.
No one wants to think of a storm hitting our beautiful state and coastlines. But it’s always better to prepare for a hurricane in advance then to wait until the last minute. The most important thing is the life of you and your family. Things can be replaced, people cannot.
Image via Wikipedia
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