{"id":9966,"date":"2022-05-25T13:27:36","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T17:27:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/10.130.206.81\/?p=9966"},"modified":"2022-05-25T13:27:36","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T17:27:36","slug":"preparing-for-a-natural-disaster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/10.130.206.81\/2022\/05\/25\/preparing-for-a-natural-disaster\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing for a Natural Disaster"},"content":{"rendered":"
Most areas in the United States are susceptible to some form of natural disaster, whether it’s a wildfire, tornado, hurricane, earthquake, or flood. A severe storm or other catastrophic event often strikes with little warning, can result in costly damage to your home, and puts your family’s safety at risk. Being prepared may help you make it through a natural disaster safely.<\/p>\n
Wherever you live, there are proactive steps you can take to help protect your home from natural disasters:<\/p>\n
A natural disaster can sometimes cause power outages that last for days. It can also result in downed power lines, fallen trees and\/or flooding that make roads impassable. Know evacuation routes and have an emergency plan that identifies a safe place to meet in the event that family members become separated. Keep important addresses and phone numbers readily accessible and identify a place where you can safely stay for an extended period of time if necessary. In addition, assemble a disaster kit with the following items:<\/p>\n
Review all of your insurance policies (e.g., home owners, renters, and auto) to make sure that you have appropriate coverage for your property and belongings. Your home and its contents should be insured to their full replacement cost, including any new additions, remodels, and furniture. To assist with post-storm insurance claims, be sure to take pictures\/videos and make an inventory of your home and valuables in case they are damaged or destroyed.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind that certain types of damage (e.g., flood and earthquake) may be excluded from a standard homeowners policy, but separate coverage is often available. Contact your insurance agent to determine if you need to purchase additional insurance tailored to the risk in your area.<\/p>\n
If your home suffers severe damage from a natural disaster, you’ll need to file a claim with your insurance company. To make the claims process easier, take pictures to document the damage (both inside and outside of your home) as soon as possible. While your claim is being processed, take steps to prevent further damage (e.g., putting a tarp on a damaged roof), since the insurance company may not cover anything beyond the initial damage to your property. Claims are paid up to policy limits.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, you may be eligible for immediate disaster relief funds and special programs through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Federal disaster assistance is usually in the form of loans or grants and is available only if the affected area is declared a disaster area by FEMA and not covered by insurance.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Most areas in the United States are susceptible to some form of natural disaster, whether it’s a wildfire, tornado, hurricane, earthquake, or flood. A severe storm or other catastrophic event often strikes with little warning, can result in costly damage to your home, and puts your family’s safety at risk. Being prepared may help you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9975,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n