Hurricane Season is Here. Be prepared.

Even with state-of-the-art weather forecasting, it’s impossible to accurately predict how a storm will develop and how severe the damage will be in a given area.  Planning ahead rather than wait until a storm is imminent to prepare and have to scramble to protect your property is essential.  As we saw with Irene, hurricane force winds can travel far inland causing damage, so planning is impotant for everyone not just those who live near the coast.

Beyond physical preparation steps for your property, your business and your family, be sure that you have proper insurance coverage on your property. Remember that home and commercial property policies typically exclude damage caused by floods. You need to have a separate flood insurance policy to protect for such damage.  As we saw with Sandy, many people didn’t have flood insurance and didn’t have coverage to rebuild. There is generally a 30 day period after purchasing flood insurance before coverage becomes effective, so you need to get your coverage in place well in advance.

Also, once a hurricane has been announced, binding coverage in an affected area may not be possible, so make sure you’re protected now with the proper amount of home, condominium, renters and commercial property insurance. In addition to property, businesses need to consider having business interruption coverage. If you have questions about your insurance protection, please contact us, so that we may assist you.

Helpful resources:

Ready.gov
Hurricane Preparation Checklist
Traveler’s Insurance Catastrophe Resources
Insurance Business Institute for Business
FEMA: The Disaster Area for Kids
NOAA predicts an active hurricane season

Photo: NOAA/NASA