Preparation is essential for the safety of you and your family. It can also ensure valuable personal possessions are taken care of properly before you lose them. Here’s what’s on our mind this September for National Preparedness Month.
Natural disasters and man-made disasters affect everyone. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, hot spells or cold spells are all natural disasters that can be deadly to people and property. Man-made disasters such as terrorism, crime, power outages, famines, or war are just as terrifying as any natural disasters.
Preparedness Plans Can Be Simple
Get on the same page with your loved ones. Whether you live with one other person or have a family of 5, make sure everyone in your family knows the “plan” if an emergency, of any type, occurs.
The American Red Cross provides a broad guide for all, with simplicity at the heart of the plan. They recommend:
Learn the essential supplies to put in your family’s survival kit. Preparation packages like car-trunk kits, winter-specific emergency kits, or basement kits with extra food, all result in a peace of mind that your family will be thankful for if anything happens one night. Most accidents and emergencies happen outside of the hours of M-F 9-5pm, so it’s always smart to be prepared to take care for a few hours until help can arrive during an emergency.
*For pet owners, create an emergency kit for your pet too. This may include 3-days worth of water, vet information, and basic care instructions. Make a plan for what to do with your pet during an emergency as well.*
Plan effectively for you and your family in case of an emergency. Create a index card with emergency call #s for all members of the family to carry on them at all times. For those who are able, maybe you have a safe place in your house that you all know to meet at if communication is down like a safe room or a basement.
For financial preparedness needs, keep these documents together and ready.
Understand which disasters are likely to occur in your area and what you must know to stay safe. Stay informed by following pages like weather tracking, local radio stations, your local news channel, and preparedness-focused pages like ours, Travelers, or other major insurance carriers. Keep a NOAA Weather Radio tuned to your local emergency station and monitor TV, radio and follow mobile alert and mobile warnings about severe weather in your area. Download the FEMA app and get weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five different locations anywhere in the United States.
Resources
Sites like the CDC, FEMA and the American Red Cross offer plentiful resources on Emergency Preparedness for various situations including Pandemic Responses, hurricane preparedness, snow/winter prep tips, cyber-security tips and much more.
Spread the Word, Share the Knowledge
Use #NationalPreparednessMonth in social media posts, #BeReady, #DisastersDontWait , and tag us too, #jmwhitneyinsuranceandco
Please let us know how we can best serve you in your personal or business insurance needs or have any questions related to your business’ activity.
J. M. Whitney Insurance is an independent insurance agency located in Watertown, Massachusetts. Give us a call, stop by, or request a quote online to find out how much we can save you on your insurance.
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