Halloween is less than a week away… but on the East Coast, something far scarier is brewing.
As Hurricane Sandy sets her sites on our shores, meteorologists warn that the hurricane conditions could mix with a winter storm to create a hybrid superstorm.
Due to the storm’s hybrid nature, and its Halloween-timed landfall, news agencies have dubbed it…
The Frankenstorm.
but for every Frankenstorm, we of course need…
Frankensafety.
But… how exactly does one prepare for a storm that is an unprecedented mix of both winter and hurricane conditions?
We thought you might ask.
Since reports are all over the map–with some saying the storm will be a dud and others calling it the storm of the century–we’re going with the prepare for all possibilities plan.
Frankenstorm is a two-headed beast. So below are some safety and preparation tips to tackle both hurricane safety and winter storm safety ‘head on.’
Hurricane Safety Tips:
Build an emergency kit. Tips for building the kit can be found here
Learn the elevation of your property and whether it is flood-prone
Study community hurricane evacuation routes
Know where you would go if a hurricane hit
Make a plan on how to evacuate. A downloadable Family Emergency Plan can be found here. Print it off and complete it.
Practice your plan
Develop a plan for your pet. A great list of steps and supplies from the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) can be found here.
Don’t forget about your business. Hurricane preparation does not end at home. Here is a great Business Survival Plan from the National Hurricane Survival Initiative
Pay attention to the news. Know the guidelines of when you should evacuate and when you should stay. A good guide from the National Hurricane Survival Initiative can be found here.
Cover all your home’s windows.
Brush up on your watches and warning terms. That way, you’ll understand the risk and can better make safety and evacuation decisions. A good review from FLASH can be found here.
Install straps or clips to securely fasten your roof to your frame structure to reduce wind damage
Keep trees well-trimmed
Clear loose or clogged rain gutters
Reinforce your garage doors
Bring in ALL outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and similar items that are not tied down
If you live in a high rise, prepare to take shelter on or below the 10th floor
Add these winter-storm specific items to your existing kit:
Rock salt or other products to melt ice on walkways. Here’s a list of recommended products from the EPA.
Sand to improve traction
Snow shovels and snow removal equipment
Heating fuel in case you lose power. Be sure to store good, dry wood for your fireplace or stove
Adequate clothing and blankets to keep you warm
Read, print off, and laminate this Red Cross Storm Safety Checklist. Make sure you have a safety plan, and that you review it with your children
If it gets cold and you want to use a heater, be SURE to read these safety tips! Portable heaters cause fires!
Review these tips for pet safety during a winter storm
Minimize travel. One of the most dangerous places during a snow storm is roadways. If you can, stay inside.
Listen to the radio and be aware of changing weather conditions. To brush up on your winter snow storm terms, click here.
This Frankenstorm has the potential to be dangerous and deadly. Please protect yourself, your family and your home. Review your safety and preparedness plan BEFORE the storm hits.
(And in the meantime, we’ll hope it’s just like all those bad horror movies: All hype, no scare.)
But each of these stories also highlights a growing trend on our national response to bullies. Rather than join in on the criticism, we have come together to say that this behavior will not stand.
The community rallied around that Homecoming Queen, cheering the high school girl on as she took the Homecoming stage looking gorgeous and confident in her red dress. We wrote hundreds of letters to that TV anchor, reminding her that she is so much more than her weight. We applauded the blogger for not only confronting the teen who made him fear for his life, but for forgiving him.
And it wasn’t just us who took a stand. It was the victims themselves. Rather than let those bullies get away with their behavior, they spoke up. And then they spoke out. They sounded the alarm that this behavior was going on, then they stood up for themselves.
When Leo Trayner, a blogger in the UK, met the 17-year-old man who had threatened his wife and family, he had this to say to him:
Look at me. I’m a middle-aged man with a limp and a wheeze and a son and a wife that I love. I’m not just a little avatar of an eye. You’re better than this. You have a name of your own. Be proud of it.
And you know what? His story went viral. 913 people commented on his story, applauded him for his bravery and thanking him for speaking up.
When Whitney Kropp, the 16-year-old who was nominated for Homecoming Queen as a cruel joke, spoke of her abuse, she told other victims of bullying:
Stand up for what you believe in and go with your heart and go with your gut. That’s what I did, and look at me now. I’m just as happy as can be! I can just prove all these kids wrong … I’m not the joke everyone thinks I am.
And Jennifer Livingston, the news anchor attacked for her weight, had this to say–on air–to every single person who has ever been hurt by the words of others:
To all of the children out there who feel lost, who are struggling with your weight, with the color of your skin, your sexual preference, your disability, even the acne on your face, listen to me right now: Do not let your self-worth be defined by bullies. Learn from my experience — that the cruel words of one are nothing compared to the shouts of many.
These three brave individuals teach us so much about bullying. They show that:
Bullying affects people of all ages and types
Victims of bullying are not alone
Victims of bullies have nothing to be ashamed of– it is the bullies who bare the blame
Standing up and speaking out will help not just you, but all of us, overcome bullying
Bullies do not define who we are. We do.
Standing up to bullies is hard, but once you do, you’ll have your community behind you for support
Bullying is a national issue. It’s not a teen issue, a school issue, or an Internet issue.
It’s an everyone issue.
We’ve made progress, but we still have a long way to go. There are still people out there–of all ages, from all walks of life–that deal with bullies every day. We still have victims of bullying who suffer in silence.
So this National Bullying Prevention Month, may we rise to the challenge. May victims of bullying everywhere feel the courage and support to stand up and speak out. And may we stand up to support and heal them when they do.
Just how important is making sure your child is buckled in correctly to an age and size appropriate car seat?
On average, 2 children are killed and 325 are injured in car accidents every day.* This fatality rate could be reduced by about half if the correct child safety seats were always used.**
So how can you check to make sure you are using the correct car seat in the correct way for your child?
Check out these great recommendations for car seats and boosters as well as installation and maintenance tips.
To make sure your child’s seat is the correct one installed in the correct way, you should have it inspected by a certified technician. Often, these certifications are free. You can find a location close to you by clicking here.
We also wanted to share a great tip with you that we found and shared on our Firefighter Pinterest board. It started with this photo:
In this photo, you can see the parent has attached Emergency Contact and Medical Information.
When we found this Pin, it was shared by a Firefighter/Paramedic. He commented that this kind of information is critical in the event of a car crash. In case the driver is separated from the child or otherwise unable to communicate medical information to First Responders, securing vital information to a car seat will help provide EMTs with potentially life-saving information.
While some newer car seats come with a spot for this information, many do not. Even if your child’s car seat does not have a specific spot for this info, you can secure it to the seat yourself.Simply write up the information (we recommend using bright or neon paper so it’s more noticeable) and use waterproof, clear tape to secure it to your car seat.
Here are some suggestions on what to include:
Child’s Name
Date of Birth
Parent Identification and Contact Information (Names and Phone Numbers)
Emergency Contact Information (Name and Phone Number)
Primary Physician/Pediatrician Information
Any known medical conditions
Any known allergies
Any relevant medical information
No matter how safe of a driver you are, remember that there are other drivers on the road and that accidents happen every day. Help safeguard your child’s safety by having your car seat inspected and by securing contact and medical information to your child’s car seat.
Sources:
*Based on National Highways Traffic Safety Administration c2010 Crash Data
**Based on the latest mortality data currently available from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics
Whether it’s a fender bender or a pileup, your fault or someone else’s, they just happen.
So when we talk about preparedness during National Preparedness Month, car wrecks should be on your list of scenarios for which you are prepared and ready.
Because how you act following a car wreck won’t just affect the Insurance Claims process, it could affect the safety and security of yourself, your property and your identity.
Did you know that sharing some personal information could put you at risk for identity theft following a car accident?
Thirty-eight percent of consumers believed they should share their driver’s license number with the other driver — one in six would even allow the other driver to photograph the license as a convenient way to exchange information.
So what’s the risk? Many retailers accept driver’s license information to verify your identity over the phone. In fact, your license number is the most common way to confirm your identity after Social Security number and date of birth.
Twenty-five percent of consumers surveyed said they would share their home address.
So what’s the risk? Actually, your home address gives identity thieves the physical location of your mail or garbage, the first place criminals often look for personal financial information. And, now a stranger knows where you live, possibly putting your personal safety at risk.
Twenty-nine percent of survey respondents believed they are required to share personal phone numbers. In fact, sharing your phone number is rarely necessary.
To help you take some of the guesswork out of what to share and what to safeguard following an accident, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners released an app for Smartphones called The WreckCheck App.
It’s free of charge!
Works for iPhones and Android phones
Outlines what to do following an accident
Walks you through process of creating accident reports
Tells you which pictures to take
Helps document damage
Assists in attaining and sharing only necessary information
Aside from being the season of cider and sweaters, Fall is also…
National Preparedness Month.
Here at CalCas, we will be celebrating by posting weekly Preparedness content right here on our Blog 🙂
First on deck: A Preparedness App!
As a recent iPhone converter, I am all aboard the App train. I’m always on the lookout for exciting new stuff and this new app from the Insurance Information Institute is one such find!
It’s called the “Know Your Plan” App and it’s all about streamlining your Disaster Prep Plans.
The National Fire Protection Association says fire departments responded to an average of 3,840 structure fires in dorms, fraternities, sororities and barracks between 2005-2009. Every year (on average), fires caused:
3 civilian deaths
28 civilian fire injuries
$20.9 million in direct property damage
So what can YOU do to keep yourself or your child safe while they’re away?
1. Identify fire risks. 81% of reported fires involved cooking equipment
Make sure your housing unit has smoke alarms inside eachbedroom, outside every sleeping area and on each level
Confirm that smoke alarms are tested at least monthly
Never remove batteries or disable alarms
Learn building evacuation plans and have a copy on hand BY the door. No organized plan? Make sure YOU have a fire escape plan with two ways out of every room
Cook only where permitted
Cook only when alert and not sleepy or drowsy
Different states have different restrictions for use of BBQ grills, fire pits and chimeneas. Check with your local fire department before using these items- especially if you moved from out-of-state!
Check with school rules on electrical appliances in your room
Use the right surge protectors for your computers or electronics and make sure the protector is plugged directly into an outlet
We know this is a busy time for everyone. There’s a lot of excitement and preparation that goes into starting a new semester at school. But please be sure to take FIRE SAFETY into account. It’s a real risk that is too often forgotten, which can lead to deadly consequences.
