National Preparedness Month

by | Safety | 0 comments

It’s officially September!

Goodbye Summer sunshine, hello Fall foliage!

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.

What you should know about this App:

What it provides:

    1. A library of preloaded preparedness checklists for disasters including:
      1. Hurricanes
      2. Floods
      3. Earthquakes
      4. Tornadoes
      5. Severe Cold
      6. Wildfires
      7. Evacuation
    2. Tips for preparing an emergency kit
    3. Important property protection information
    4. Step-by-step preparedness tips
    5. Custom lists for your personalized preparedness plan
    6. Targeted task completion dates
    7. Tools to chart your progress (including a countdown feature!)
    8. Checklists share options for family and friends
    9. Evacuation resources (even one for pets!)
    10. Geotargeted emergency alert feeds for up-to-the minute information about local evacuation routes and other disaster information
    11. User-customizable notes

 

As Fall and September swing into full gear, make sure you are ahead of the curve when it comes to Disaster Preparedness.

After all, you never know when you may need it.

By compiling disaster preparedness information and plans all in one place–on your phone–you are putting life-saving plans in place.

Stay tuned for more great Preparedness content throughout the month!

Protecting Your Home Against a Hurricane

by | Homeowners Insurance Info | 0 comments

Hurricane season is here, and with it comes the risk of damaging storms in coastal areas.  While your primary goal should be emergency supplies and an evacuation plan to keep you and your family safe, there are also some steps to take to protect your home from catastrophic damage.

One of the biggest keys to protecting your home from damage is to secure the windows. Why is this important? For one, once the windows shatter, the high winds enter the house, wreaking havoc and causing interior damage. The most important reason is that as hurricane winds blow into the house, it creates upward pressure on the roof. This pressure may be enough to blow the roof off – which will likely lead to the total destruction of your home.

The ideal way to protect your windows is to install heavy duty wood or metal storm shutters. This can be quite an investment, but one that will pay off in protection, as well as the ability to quickly respond to the threat. Alternatively, you can use marine plywood attached to your home’s exterior. It is recommended that you have these pieces purchased, cut, and pre-drilled/ready to install before a hurricane watch is in place. If you wait until danger is bearing down on you, it may be too late.

Some other tips to protect your home during a hurricane:

  • Remove dead trees or tree limbs on your property
  • Be aware if your home is in a storm surge danger area
  • Create a “safe room” in your house
  • Keep battery powered radios, flashlights, and extra batteries on hand.