Preparing For a Disaster and Homeowners Insurance

Depending on where you live, you are prone to different natural disasters. On the West coast earthquakes and wildfires are the main concern; while on the east coast, hurricanes are higher threat. Review your homeowners insurance policy to make sure that your coverage includes such disasters that may occur where you live.

How to Start Preparing

Contact your local emergency management or civil defense office and your local American Red Cross chapter to find out which disasters are more likely to occur in your area. Ask them how you will be warned in case of a disaster. Finally, find out how to prepare for each disaster that might happen in your area.

Meet With Your Family

Discuss the types of disasters that could occur in your area. Explain to your family how to prepare for each one and how to respond to any warnings. If it is a situation where you might be asked to evacuate your home, discuss your evacuation plan. Also, practice what you have discussed.

Plan How Your Family Will Stay In Contact If Separated By Disaster

If there is a disaster and you become separated from your family members, do you know how to meet up with them? A simple way to prevent being lost is to pick two meeting places. The fist meeting place should be outside your home incase there is a fire. The second one should be outside of your neighborhood just in case you can not return home. You should also choose a friend or relative out of state as a "check-and-contact." This is a person that can help direct your family in case someone becomes separated or to give you more information.

Some Simple Steps to Follow

You should always post emergency numbers by all your phones. In some cases, have a local fire department or police department number on speed dial. Make sure that you have smoke detectors in every room of your house and that they are in working order. Having at least one fire extinguisher in your home is also a good idea. Show a more responsible family member how and when to shut off the water, gas, and electricity to your house in the event of a disaster. Learning first aid and CPR can help keep your family safer as well.

Meet With Your Neighbors

Plan how the neighborhood could work together after a disaster. Know your neighbor's skills (medical, technical). Consider how you could help neighbors who have special needs, such as elderly or disabled persons. Make plans for child care in case parents can't get home.

Remember to familiarize yourself with your homeowners insurance policy to make sure you have the proper coverage in case of a disaster. If you need to add more coverage, it's probably a good idea to shop around and compare homeowners insurance rates. Using InsWeb.com's online homeowners quote form; you can easily compare quotes from leading homeowners insurance providers in minutes!

Provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross

This information is provided for InsWeb users' general information. Contact the agencies directly for specific information and instructions.