Hurricane Awareness: Emergency Preparedness Supplies

It's a good idea to put together emergency preparedness supplies long before you need them. The Office of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service advise that it's much easier to gather the supplies and documents you need before hurricane season starts. Hurricane season begins on June 1 and continues through Nov. 30.

Having emergency supplies in easy-to-carry containers will serve you well, no matter what kind of natural or manmade emergency you may face. Use this checklist:

ü  􀀹 First-aid kit

ü  􀀹 Extra prescription medications, written copies of prescriptions, other special medical items

ü  􀀹 Important documents and records, photo IDs, proof of residence, information you  may need to process insurance claims

ü  􀀹 Cash (power outages mean banks and ATMs may be unavailable)

ü  􀀹 Battery-operated radio

ü  􀀹 Flashlight with extra batteries

ü  􀀹 Phone numbers of family and friends

ü  􀀹 Road maps, a travel plan, hotel reservations, list of places between your town and your destination you can stop if the highways are clogged.

ü  􀀹 3-day supply of non-perishable food, one gallon of bottled water per person per day

ü  􀀹 Coolers for food and ice storage, paper plates, plastic utensils

ü  􀀹 Manual can opener, knife, tools, booster cables, fire extinguisher, duct tape, tarp, rope.

ü  􀀹 Blankets, pillows, sleeping bags and extra clothing

ü  􀀹 Toilet paper, cleanup supplies, personal hygiene products

ü  􀀹 Eyeglasses, sunglasses, hearing aids

ü  􀀹 Special supplies needed for babies, older adults or pets

ü  􀀹 Extra keys

For more information, contact Orange County Emergency Management Office at 409-882-7895 or www.co.orange.tx.us/departments/emergencymanagement ; TDEM Public Information at 512.424.2138 or visit TDEM’s Web site: www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.

 Evacuating Is the Smartest Move

When a hurricane threatens your area, evacuating is the smartest move. These storms are highly unpredictable and can strengthen rapidly in a matter of hours. Prepare and make your evacuation plans well in advance. Review this checklist before you leave.

• To protect your home, whether you are staying or going, put up shutters or plywood on all windows and openings. Winds are stronger at higher elevations, and high-rise apartments or condos.

• Move patio furniture, hanging plants and gas grills inside. If your home is vulnerable to rising water, move valuables and furniture to a higher level.

• Notify relatives and friends about evacuation plans and confirm reservations if planning to stay at a hotel.

• Be familiar with other places to stay between your home and destination should roads become clogged. Do not ride out a hurricane in a car. Know where emergency shelters are along the route.

• Turn off electricity at the main circuit breaker or fuse box to protect appliances from power surges and reduce the risk of live dangling wires after the storm.

• Make a final walk-through inspection of the home before closing the door.

• Your emergency preparedness kit should include radio and flashlight with extra batteries, extra eye glasses, medications and special products for babies and elderly

family members, bottled water, non-perishable food, dry clothes, bedding and important documents in waterproof containers.

• Do not try to tow a trailer or boat in high winds. It is too hazardous.

Evacuations and Household Pets

 As families in coastal areas make plans for hurricane season, it is important to plan for care of the family pet. Family pets should never be left behind in an evacuation. No one knows how long it may be before residents are allowed to return home.

Make plans now about where you and your family would stay if local officials call for an evacuation. If you and your family are self-evacuating, make reservations ahead of time and leave early. Keep in mind that not all hotels or shelters allow pets.

If you will need transportation assistance during an evacuation, call 2-1-1 in advance to add your name to the Transportation Assistance Registry. State officials say that no one will be denied transportation assistance because he or she is accompanied by a household pet.

Make sure all your pets are wearing identification and that you have their veterinary records with you. As you are preparing your family disaster supply kit, also prepare a supply kit for each of your animals in easy-to-carry, waterproof containers.

Supplies for pets will differ depending on whether you are self-evacuating or you have requested transportation assistance. A typical pet supply kit for those who are evacuating in their own family vehicles should include:

• Two-week supply of water in plastic gallon jugs, dry and canned food, can opener, spoon or scoop and disposable bowls
• Two-week supply of any medications, Cage, crate or carrier labeled with your contact information
• Leash, collar, harness, muzzle
• Proof of ownership, such as a picture of you with your pet
• Copies of veterinary records
• Feeding and medication instructions, including what NOT to feed your pet
• Pet toys, bedding or treats
• Clean up supplies, including plastic, sealable bags for solid waste, cat litter, litter pan and scoop, newspaper, paper towels, hand sanitizers, wet and dry wipes, trash bags and odor eliminators.

If you are requesting transportation assistance from the state or local government, ask ahead of time what will be allowed on transport out of the area. Some items may not be appropriate due to space limitations on buses, such as multiple jugs of water or large containers of food. There will not be room for litter and litter pans. A collapsible, soft-sided carrier for small dogs and cats is better than a hard cage or crate, unless the crate can be folded and stowed as luggage.

Insurance Protection Should Be Part of Hurricane Preparation

AUSTIN – With the official start of hurricane season on June 1, the Texas Department of Insurance encourages you to take some time to refamiliarize yourself with your insurance policies and to address any questions with your agent or company.

Get Prepared: Review and Update Your Insurance

To begin a review, start with your home inventory. Creating an inventory and storing it in a safe location away from home is one of the most basic – and effective – disaster preparedness steps you can take to help protect yourself and your financial future. A home inventory can save you time and headaches when filing a claim following a disaster.

You can download and print a home inventory checklist from the TDI website: http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/pubs/consumer/cb086.pdf

It is important to review your inventory each year. Remember to note the make, model, serial number, purchase price and date of purchase of any new items and keep copies of receipts for major purchases with your inventory.

Also, make sure you know whether your policy includes coverage for replacement cost or actual cash value in case of a loss. Actual cash value (ACV) is the amount it would take to repair damage to your home or to replace its contents after allowing for depreciation. Replacement cost is the amount it would take to rebuild or replace your home and its contents with similar quality materials or goods, without deducting for depreciation.

Store copies of your insurance policies with your inventory in a safe location away from your home, so that these records can be easily retrieved in the event of a loss. Before you store the insurance policies, review them to verify that they meet your needs. Make sure you know your policy limits, deductibles, exclusions and policyholder claims notification requirements, before disaster strikes.

Keep a list of contact details for your insurance agent and/or company with your policies. Include office phone numbers, mailing addresses, website addresses and all of your policy numbers for quick reference. Email this information to yourself in case you’re separated from your hard copy list.

Make sure you have windstorm insurance.  If your property is located in one of Texas’ 14 coastal counties, or parts of southeastern Harris County, your homeowners policy may not provide windstorm coverage.  You may be able to obtain insurance coverage for windstorm or hail damage from a special insurance pool called the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA). It’s important to note that you cannot buy or change TWIA coverage once a hurricane is in or near the Gulf of Mexico. If you currently have TWIA coverage, review your policy carefully and know your policy limits. Compare your TWIA and homeowners policies and determine whether you are insured to an appropriate replacement value. For more information about windstorm coverage and inspection requirements, call your insurance agent or TWIA at (512) 899-4900, or visit TWIA’s website at www.twia.org.

Consider flood insurance.  Most homeowners and commercial property policies specifically exclude coverage for damage from flooding.  To protect yourself from losses caused by rising water, you’ll need a separate flood insurance policy, typically from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). NFIP is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Flood insurance policies usually have a 30-day waiting period after the purchase date before coverage takes effect on currently owned property, so don’t wait until a flooding threat is imminent. To obtain flood insurance contact your insurance agent or NFIP at 1-888-FLOOD 29 (356-6329) or visit www.floodsmart.gov.  Note: for certain TWIA policyholders, flood coverage is required effective 9/1/2009; for more information about this requirement, contact your insurance agent or TWIA.

Make a safety plan.  If a hurricane threatens your area, you may have to make a decision whether to stay in your home or evacuate. Whenever local authorities recommend evacuation, you should leave. The advice of authorities is based on knowledge of the strength of the storm and its potential for destruction.

• Map out safe routes inland or to safer areas. If you live in a low-lying area, know where low-water crossings might make travel to safety more difficult and plan routes that avoid these areas.
• Find out the location of any nearby community shelters in case you must seek immediate shelter.
• When a hurricane watch is issued for your area - an alert that a storm has not yet hit, but conditions are likely in the days or hours ahead - regularly check TV and radio for official weather bulletins.
• If you decide that it’s safe for you to stay, understand that you may be without electricity, fresh water, and phone service for some time and prepare accordingly. Stock up on canned goods and bottled water, check supplies of medicines and first-aid equipment, and check batteries in radios and flashlights.
• Work out a way for family members to communicate in case you must leave your home or if there is a disruption in local phone service. For instance, agree on a friend or relative who lives outside your immediate area who can serve as a point of contact in an emergency.

Protect your property.  When a hurricane watch is issued for your area, taking a few measures in advance may help prevent or minimize damage to your home or property.

• Protect windows, sliding glass doors, and skylights with shutters or plywood.
• Put your car in a garage or other shelter. Secure boats and trailers. Secure outdoor furniture and any other loose material outside.
• If possible, trim back any dead wood from trees. This will reduce the amount of wind stress on trees and eliminate potential damage from falling limbs.
• Move valuables away from windows and, if possible, to an upper floor.
• Bring pets indoors or make other arrangements for their safety. If you must seek shelter in a community shelter, understand that you may not be able to keep your pets with you. Contact your local humane society for information about animal shelters.
• If you are leaving your home, lock and secure the premises. Take small valuables and important documents with you.

For more information:

If you have questions about insurance, call TDI’s toll-free Consumer Help Line: 1-800-252-3439 or visit the TDI website: www.tdi.state.tx.us.

Inland Flooding

Hurricanes are nature's most powerful storms and can lead to flooding hundreds of miles inland. The heaviest rainfall can occur 200 miles away from the center of the storm. Hurricane storm systems can sweep far northward into neighboring states, causing further floods days after they make landfall.

The best advice for drivers is never to drive through water running across roadways. When drivers see water across roads or highways, they need to back up and choose alternate routes.  Hurricane season officially begins June 1 and continues through November 30.

Water on a roadway can be much deeper than it appears and water levels can rise very quickly. Floodwaters erode roadways. A missing section of road, even a missing bridge, will not be visible with water running across the area

If your car stalls in floodwater, get out quickly and move to higher ground. Floodwaters may still be rising and the car could be swept away at any moment. Also keep in mind that water flowing only six inches deep can knock adults off their feet.

Water displaces 1,500 pounds of weight for every foot that it rises. In other words, if a car weighs 3,000 pounds, it takes only two feet of water to float it. Cars can become death traps because electric windows and door locks can short out when water reaches them, trapping occupants inside.

Flooding, including flash flooding, is the number one cause of weather-related deaths in Texas. Many of these deaths could be avoided if drivers would turn around and avoid driving into water covering a road.

Protecting your property means taking precautions and making advance preparations well ahead of storm season. Start planning now

v  Learn your vulnerability to flooding from hurricanes by finding out the elevation of your property and checking floodplain maps. As construction increases in your area, floodplains can change.

v  Check your insurance coverage. Most homeowner insurance policies do not cover flood damage. Learn about the National Flood Insurance Program.

v  Find out if your home meets current building code requirements for high winds. Structures built to meet or exceed current building code high-wind provisions have a better chance of surviving violent windstorms.

v  Protect all windows by installing commercial shutters or preparing 5/8 inch plywood panels.

v  Garage doors are frequently the first feature in a home to fail. Reinforce all garage doors so that they are able to withstand high winds.

v  If you do not live in an evacuation zone or a mobile home, designate an interior room with no windows or external doors as a Safe Room.

v  If you live in an evacuation zone, DO NOT plan to stay during a hurricane.

v  Before hurricane season, assess your property to ensure that landscaping and trees do not become a wind hazard. Trim all dead wood, and weak branches or overhanging branches from all trees. Certain trees and bushes are vulnerable to high winds and any dead tree near a home is a hazard.

v  Consider landscaping materials other than gravel or rocks.