Both hurricane and tornado season are predicted to have higher activity than average this year, which has emergency preparedness experts urging people to be ready.
According to Mark McGillivray, Allstate’s Senior Vice President of Claims, many Americans aren’t as prepared as they think they are. That can often cost thousands of dollars when a disaster strikes - and it can potentially risk people’s lives.
“If you had to leave the house what would you do?” asked McGillivray. “Where would you meet? How would you get out of the house? And then, if you have to leave the area how would you get out of that area?”
McGillivray said a little planning goes a long way.
It starts with the absolute basics: making sure you have an emergency preparedness kit with everything needed to keep you and your family comfortable for 24 hours. That includes food, water, batteries, and things like prescription medication. It may also include food for a pet if you have one.
Allstate recently released a phone app called Digital Lock that’s free to both customers, and non-customers, that walks you through your own list to make sure it meets your need. In times of emergency, McGillivray said it can be key.
“People tend to think it’s not going to happen to them,” said McGillivray, when asked why common measures aren’t taken by most Americans. “They tend to think that happens elsewhere, it happens not the TV, it won’t happen to me or my family.”
However, severe weather is more common than you think. The damage related to it can be harsh.
Research shows that dating back to 1980 weather-related disasters have increased by more than 230-percent. Last year alone, FEMA declared more than 100 disasters amounting to billions of dollars in loss.
McGillivray said that the best way to plan ahead is what they call the two-by-four approach: two ways to prepare, and four ways to protect your family’s belongings:
Two Things To Help Keep A Family Safe
1. How to create an evacuation plan to get out fast
2. How to build an emergency kit with everything you need to grab and go at a moment's notice.
Four Tips To Help Protect The Things That Matter Most
1. What to keep in mind when photographing your valuables
2. How to organize a home inventory for a stress-free claims process
3. Questions to ask to make sure you're covered appropriately
4. How to organize important documents so they are easy to find and protected
