Hurricane Preparedness - East & Greenwell

HURRICANE SEASON – DAY 1 (JUNE 1ST)

After a busy 2017 hurricane season, we here at East & Greenwell want to help make sure that you are well prepared before the next storm heads to Florida. You should update your contact information, check insurance policies and make your handy ‘Hurricane Kit’, all of these things will help ease you into Hurricane Season.

Please use this checklist to begin your preparation before the next storm!

Updated your contact information with us!

Did you change your cell phone recently? Or disconnect your home phone?
Did you create a new email address?
Are you following us on Facebook for immediate updates? https://www.facebook.com/EastandGreenwellInsurance/

Check your insurance policy

Do I have a current homeowners, car, and/or flood policy on hand?
Do you have Flood Insurance? Click here to find why we suggest it.
Do you have screen enclosure coverage?
What is your hurricane deductible?
- Are you interested in a policy to cover it?
Do you have enough coverage for your fence or other detached structures?
Do you have comprehensive coverage on your car in case of flooding?
Do you have coverage for refrigerator contents loss?
Do you have all your hurricane shutters and pieces for installation?

A customer purchased a home and saw all the shutters the garage. When he went to put the shutters up days before Hurricane Irma, he realized that shutters did not fit his home and he was left needing plywood. Checking and making sure your shutters fit your home and that you have all the pieces will save you on a headache later.
Create or update your Hurricane Kit (checklist to follow)

When Hurricane Irma targeted SWFL, store shelves were stripped bare and essentials were out of stock. Don’t be left without Emergency essentials.

We’ve created a checklist below of essentials to collect and have on hand from the start of the hurricane season rather than waiting on the ‘Cone of Uncertainty’. Creating the kit early will alleviate some of the stress when you are putting up your hurricane shutters. We suggest grabbing a large storage bin and storing these items away to create your Hurricane Kit:

Water – Although this item most likely cannot be stored in your bin. It is suggested to have one gallon of water per person per day for at least 7 days, for drinking and sanitation. For a family of 4, you’d want 28 gallons of water on hand. This can be gallon water jugs or bottled water, whatever you may find easy for you!  
Food – It is suggested to have at last 7 days of non-perishable foods. You may not want to purchase 7 days of food to sit in a bin, but we’d suggest at least having 3 days packed away and ready. As you can remember, Hurricane Irma knocked out electricity causing food to spoil in the refrigerator. So having non-perishable foods on hand is a must if power were to go out!
Radio– Battery-powered or hand crank radio & NOAA weather radio with tone alert  
Flashlights
First aid kit
Batteries – Verify what batteries are needed for your radio, flashlights or other devices you may use. You never want to be in the position where you have a plethora of AAAs for your AA or C battery flashlight!
Paper plates, cups, and silverware- Since water/electricity could be unavailable, having disposable plates and utensils will ensure that plates don’t stack up in the kitchen with the inability to wash them!
Cash
Manual can opener- If you happen to have an electric can opener…this is a MUST! And of course if your kit contains canned food

Additional Items to consider purchasing at the start of the hurricane season:

Battery Pack for cell phone
Generator

Gas Cans & Gas
Large Tarp & Tarp Clips
Heavy Duty Gloves
Extension Cord
Fire Extinguisher
Matches & Candles

HURRICANE PREPARATION CHECKLIST

If you find yourself within a 5 day cone, here are a few things we recommend (some may be redundant if you already have your hurricane kit):

Is your Hurricane Kit & supplies ready? Click here for the comprehensive list for the Kit, but see below for additional items you will want to add before leaving town OR putting in one area of the home so it’s easy to find when power is out:
- Important family documents (i.e. birth certificates, social security cards, insurance policy, passports, etc.) in a waterproof container
- Pliers to turn off utilities
- Books, games, puzzles, or other activities for kids
- Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper to disinfect water
- Sandbags to prevent flooding
- Toilet paper and other personal hygiene products
- Fire extinguisher
- Cell phones and chargers with backup battery chargers
- Medication (Prescription and non-prescription)
- Glasses and contact lens solution
- Generator and gas cans
- Pet food

Fill your vehicles with gas!
- Gas is usually scarce before and after hurricanes, so you’ll want to make sure you fill up your vehicles and ideally have extra gas cans in your garage as well.
Prepare a plan
- One of the most important things you can do when a storm is approaching is prepare a plan – specifically whether you will evacuate your home, and if so, where you will go. You can tailor your plan based on the expected severity of the storm, though it’s important to remember that hurricanes can be extremely unpredictable. If your family is in a special flood zone or you have experienced flooding in the past, evacuating might be the safest option. If you decide to leave the state of Florida, be sure to give yourself adequate driving time to get out of the state before the storm comes. It can take much longer to evacuate than you’d expect due to many other families doing the same thing.
Install your storm shutters.
- If you’re unable to install your own shutters, call to set an appointment with a company that provides the service so you can be sure to have shutters installed before the storm arrives.
Record a quick video of your home.
- In case of damage from the storm, it may be helpful to have an easy reference for the belongings that you had in your home before the storm. It doesn’t have to be extremely detailed, but recording a quick walk through of every room in your home may come in handy.

48 HOURS BEFORE THE HURRICANE

Track the storms status closely at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ or by listening to an NOAA radio.
Bring all lawn furniture inside the house. Make sure there’s nothing lying around outside that could become wind-driven debris.
Install Hurricane Shutters
Be sure to fill your bathtubs, sinks, and other clean containers with water – this could come in handy after the storm.
Adjust your fridge to the lowest setting and then keep the door closed!

TO EVACUATE OR NOT? THAT IS THE QUESTION:

Choosing whether or not to evacuate is not an easy decision most of the time. Storms can be extremely unpredictable, so it is usually best to use the information available to you to make the best decision for your family.

We recommend evacuating if you live in a special flood zone, you live in a home that is not structurally sound or a manufactured home, you have experienced flooding in the past, or if you feel it is best for your family for any reason.

If you need to evacuate to a shelter, here is a website that lists the shelters available in the state of Florida: floridadisaster.org/shelters.

If you decide to stay, it’s important to have a plan for communication after the storm. It’s best to have an out of town contact that knows where you will be during the storm and can call and check on you after the storm has passed to make sure you’re safe.

DURING THE STORM

Stay in your safe place! As tempting as it can be, do not leave your home until the storm has completely passed.
Listen to the radio for the most current information– again, storms can change direction or intensity at the last minute. Listening to the radio will also help you know when it is safe to leave your home.
Stay in communication with your person. Keep communicating with your out of town contact.
Call 911 for any life-threatening emergencies.

AFTER THE STORM

Do not leave your home until it is safe to do so.
Do not let your kids play in flooded streets – many times it is filled with bacteria, and you never know when there could be a downed powerline nearby.
Do not touch or approach downed powerlines – be sure to keep your children away from them as well.
Do not run a generator inside your home or garage. Keep generators outside the home and away from an open window or door as they emit toxic gases.
Drink bottled water until you are able to verify that your running water has not been contaminated.
Don’t drive until you have to – there’s usually a lot of debris on the roads following a storm. It’s safest to stay at home as long as possible.
Follow any curfews that have been put in place by the county or state.

IF you have storm damage, please click here (connect to placing a claim) for additional details on placing a claim.

PLACING A CLAIM

During the 2017 Hurricane Season, we realized that our customers wanted to communicate with us directly, but due to downed power and loss of internet, that was close to impossible. Since your hurricane deductible is based on a calendar year, if you experience damage to your home, we suggest opening up a claim.

The fastest way to open your claim is directly through the carrier. In most cases you can open a claim online or call the claims department directly. If possible, have your policy in front of you for reference of your policy number and deductible. Please click here (https://eastandgreenwell.com/claim) to open a claim, which will bring you to the listing of our insurance carriers and claim department contacts.

After placing the claim, an insurance adjustor will contact you to set up a time to come to your home and review the damage. Due to potential widespread damage, this may take upwards up of 7-10 business days. It is imperative to stop or mitigate further damage. If this is necessary, please take any photos before repairs are made as well as keep any receipts for your records to turn into your adjuster.

In review, here is a checklist to progress your claim:

Contact Insurance Company to open claim, take note of your adjuster contact
Make efforts to avoid further damage
Review your insurance policy jacket – especially the section titled “Duties after loss”
Use your phone or camera to take pictures of any damage to the interior or exterior of your home
Write a list of items that were damaged and what you paid for them, if applicable

In the event of power outage and/or phone & internet service is down. Please feel free to contact our agency at eastandgreenwell@allstate.com with questions or concerns. Please note we will respond as quickly as possible. Once it is safe, power, phones and internet are restored, our offices will reopen and we will be ready to assist with your questions.