5 Tips You Need to Know to Prepare for Blustery Winds

Household tips for getting ready ahead of the next big storm.

February 13, 2015

Melissa Chang,

Islandinsurance Photo1 — Photos: Courtesy of Island Insurance

It’s been blustery recently, with high winds causing damage around the state. The busy hurricane season a few months ago makes us wonder what’s coming this year.

There’s more to preparing for an extreme storm, hurricane or tsunami than just rushing to Costco to stock up on water, toilet paper and Vienna sausage. Here are some quick tips from Island Insurance to make sure you and your family weather the storm.

Prepare your perishables

It’s important to have adequate food and water supplies for your family, but there are additional precautions you can take to help your perishables stay fresh as long as possible. If you have enough advance warning, turn the controls on your refrigerator to the coldest setting and keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed if at all possible. You can also place dry or regular ice or freeze water in one-quart plastic storage bags to place in the refrigerator to help keep items cold. Remember, a refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours, and a full freezer will hold its temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if half full) if the doors are kept closed.

Switch it off

Shutting off and unplugging sensitive electronics—such as televisions, computers or microwaves—as well as heat-producing appliances such as stoves, irons and toaster ovens—can prevent fire hazards should electricity return unexpectedly. Also consider investing in a surge protector that can protect your electrical equipment from electrical spikes such as lightning strikes, power outages, a tripped circuit breaker and short circuits.

Plug in your phone

As cell phones have become more popular, corded telephones have gone the way of the dinosaur. These phones, however, which plug directly into a wall’s telephone jack if you have landline service, will work during an electrical outage, allowing you to call out in case of an emergency.

Have a home inventory list

Consider doing a home inventory, a record of your treasured belongings. This can be done quickly–and can even be made into a fun game for older children–capturing the contents of your home on a video camera (or your trusty iPhone), to make things easier in the event that you need to file a claim.

Make sure your homeowners insurance has the proper coverage

If you own your home, you probably know how much your home is worth, but do you know how much it will cost to rebuild in the event of severe damage or loss? Building materials, labor and other related costs, along with inflation, continue to rise. Check with your independent insurance agent to make sure your policy limits are sufficient to cover the replacement of your home. Be sure to let your agent know of any home improvements or renovations you may have made. This will enable you to have a current valuation of your home.