Starting June 1st hurricane season will be in full swing, bringing with it high winds, heavy rainfalls, tornadoes and flooding. Hurricanes are one of nature’s most powerful natural disasters and have brought tragedy, destruction and death to many Americans – especially in recent years. Weego’s birthplace, and my own as well, saw the destruction first hand in Hurricane Sandy (2012). Many people experienced loss and destruction, even some of our very own employees. My new hometown, New Orleans, endured one of the deadliest and costliest hurricanes in the U.S. back in 2005 – Hurricane Katrina, followed weeks later by Hurricane Rita, are tragedies the city is still recovering from today.
You cannot stop a force of nature this strong, but you can prepare for it in order to minimize your losses. First, get informed:
- Know Your Risk – visit ready.gov to search your state and learn how at-risk you are.
- Know Your Zone – learn your town’s evacuation zones so you know what to do ahead of time.
- Make a Family Plan – get everyone together to discuss action plans for different situations – identify communication methods and meeting points, and be thorough in your planning.
- Download the FEMA App – stay in the know: knowledge is power. Get weather alerts, safety tips, and notifications right to your devices.
- Check Your Insurance Coverage – make sure you understand important details like deductibles, what losses are covered, etc. Keep in mind most Homeowner’s Insurance doesn’t cover flooding.
Next, stock up. Have your supplies at-the-ready - they will be lifesaving if the time comes to use them:
- Food & Water – get enough for each person to last a week.
- Medicine & First Aid – fill prescriptions ahead of time and make sure you have essential supplies in abundance, at least 30 days’ worth.
- Communication & Power – have your Weego at the ready. Your Weego acts as a jump starter, phone & tablet charger, laptop charger, and a flashlight. It’s an essential tool in your Preparedness kit for when the power goes out. Have other backups as well – you can never be too careful.
- Gasoline – make sure you’re well equipped to head to safer grounds. Fill up your car ahead of a storm. You won’t be able to pump any gas if the power goes out!
- Cash – have it on hand…if the power goes out ATMs and credit cards are useless to you.
Above all, be smart and be safe. Listen to your local officials when they tell you to evacuate – it pays to air on the side of caution here.
