Be Prepared 

Most of us tend to know what we should do to get prepared for Hurricane Season or other disasters, but we put off doing it until the disaster is upon us.  We may think that it will never happen to us; "we’ll prepare later"; it may be just too unpleasant for us to think about at all.  Whatever our reasons are, we need to put them aside and just do it.  We all know that a disaster brings many kinds of stress with it, so reduce some of the stress by "being prepared" early.

The most important step is to be informed.  The Department of Homeland Security’s Ready Website is an excellent place to get most of the information you will need. 

1) Get a Kit 

http://www.ready.gov/america/npm08/getakit.html

2) Make A Plan

http://www.ready.gov/america/npm08/makeaplan.html

3) Be Informed

http://www.ready.gov/america/npm08/beinformed.html

4) Get Involved

http://www.ready.gov/america/npm08/getinvolved.html

Don’t let the thought of how much time putting together a kit or making a plan will take stop you from getting started.  Schedule a time to get the supplies for your kit, or gradually pick up things for the kit as you do your regular shopping.  If possible, spread the responsibility among those in the family able to help gather or pick up supplies.  Even young children can gather supplies from around the house if you give them a list.  Don’t forget as part of “Make a Plan”, you need to plan an evacuation route for your home in case of an emergency such as a fire. You need to educate everyone in the household on the plan and practice the evacuation plan throughout the year.

Remember, what you do is usually what your children will do. This is an important life lesson for your children, so engage them in all aspects of the emergency plan.  FEMA has a website for kids that may help you communicate with your children about disasters. (http://www.fema.gov/kids/)

Please call us (813-685-9986) if you would like us to help you and your family put a kit together or make a plan.

 Insurance: Before The Disaster

1) Create and maintain an inventory of your personal belongings.  Take pictures or make a video of your possessions to go along with your inventory.  Store the inventory in a safe place outside your home.  You should also include the receipts for your major items.

2) Review your insurance policy carefully and know what it covers.  Understand the type of deductible your policy has.

3) Make sure you have your policy numbers and contact information for your insurance company with you at all times.

4) You may need more than one policy to make sure you are insured properly.  (For example, you may need a separate flood or wind policy.) 

 Insurance: After The Disaster

 1) Contact your insurance company immediately, so that you can get the ball rolling on your claim.  Also find out if you are eligible for loss-of-use benefits, which means you could be reimbursed for hotel costs, food and other living expenses if your house is unlivable.

  2) Go room to room and document all damage to your property and belongings thoroughly.  Take pictures or video if you are able.  This is much easier if you have already created an inventory of your possessions as suggested above.  This will provide a before and after record.

 3) Make any minor repairs that will limit any further damage to your house.  You may be liable for any damage that occurs after a storm has passed.  Make only temporary repairs, such as boarding up broken windows or putting a tarp over a leaky roof.  Don’t remove damage from your property until it has been seen by the insurance adjuster.    Do not make any permanent repairs until you have approval from your insurance company.  

  4) Keep all your receipts for any supplies you buy or your living expenses for future reimbursement.

  5) Before the adjuster comes make a list of everything you want to show him.  If you suspect structural damage, you may want to have your property inspected by a structural engineer.  Get written bids from reliable, licensed contractors on the repair work. If you have major damage, you may want to consider hiring an independent insurance adjuster. 

  6) Be careful if you accept a partial payment for your claim.  Make sure there isn't language on the back of the check or anywhere else that will prevent you from making any further claims in case concealed damage is discovered. 

 7) Be aware that you don’t have to accept the first settlement your insurance company offers you if you don’t think that it is enough.  Discuss the settlement with your agent and the adjuster.  If you still cannot get things resolved, you should contact the state’s Insurance Commissioner’s Office to help with a resolution.  

  8) Check with FEMA to see if you qualify for any additional assistance. (www.fema.gov)

In my family's situation, we learned a lot of things that we didn’t know before Hurricane Jeanne. For example, most insurance companies will pay for removal of trees that have fallen on your home, but many will not pay to remove trees that have fallen in your yard and haven’t caused any damage to your home.  (We had a lot of trees that fell into our yard from the property behind us.)   We also learned that it is better not to be in a hurry to settle your claim even though that is what you want to do.  It is better to wait until all damage is discovered.  Often, damage that is overlooked in the beginning  becomes apparent later during the repair process.  This is known as concealed damage. 

 I wish I could tell you that each of these tips will help take away the stress after a disaster hits, but they won’t.  However, I hope that these tips will ease some of the stress.  The goal is to get your life and home back to what it was before the disaster.   

For more tips and information be sure to visit us at www.livingorderly.com and www.theprofessionalorganizer.com.  

Tip To Living Orderly

Store emergency contact numbers electronically in your Florida drivers license.

Law-enforcement officers may need to notify your loved ones, if you are ever involved in a serious accident. It is not always easy for them to know who to call or how to reach them. The state's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has come up with an easy solution to this problem.

1. Go to snipurl.com/2jyor.

2. Enter your drivers license number and your date of birth and click "Continue." You can also enter your Florida Identification Card number if you don't have a drivers license.

3. Enter the contact information for up to two people. You can enter up to three phone numbers for each person. When you are finished, click "Save."

Tip To Living Well

Below are some tips and action steps from www.redcross.org to help manage the difficult feelings brought on by a disaster.

--Limit exposure to the sights and sounds of the disaster.

--Prioritize your tasks and do one task at a time.

--Focus on the positive—there are many people helping to provide support.

--Reach out and accept help from others.

--Do something you and your family enjoy.

--Try to eat healthy and drink plenty of water.

--Stay connected with your family and other support systems.

--Be patient.

--Try to develop a regular daily schedule

for children..

     -Allow them to feel upset and encourage them to express their feelings and thoughts.

     -Try to establish a schedule for their eating, sleeping and daily activities.

     -Limit their exposure to TV and radio coverage of the disaster.