HAILSTORMS: What to Do Before, During & After

Hail might seem like a minor concern but it can shatter windows, leave pockmarks in siding and most importantly destroy or damage roof coverings. Here are some helpful hints to protect your home.

Before 

- If you need to re-roof select an impact-resistant roof covering. These products have passed the UL2218 impact test with a rating of Class 1 through 4. Class 4 (most resistant) has proven to be highly effective in hailstorms.

 

- Make sure your roof covering is impact-resistant. Do not rely on building codes or regulations to protect you. Look for the UL2218 label on the package and literature confirming the product has passed this test.

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What Water Damage Is Covered By Insurance?

Many people often ask "What kind of water damages are covered by insurance?" and I came across the helpful article. It also includes information on how to clean up after a flood to prevent mold...

Many people have no clue as to what types of water damage is covered under their home or business insurance policy. Homeowners and business owners are becoming confused, hearing about mold insurance claims getting denied, and lots of questions arise about water damage to their homes. This article will go on to explain what types of damage is covered by your home insurance or your business policy and what you should do if your house has damage.

What Water Damage will your Home Insurance Policy cover?

Homeowners policies don't cover damages from a flood, you would need to purchase flood insurance if you want to be specifically covered for water damage caused by a flood. Your home insurance policy would pay for damage from rain coming through a hole or a window if the hole had been caused by strong storm winds. But if you have a pipe leaking inside your house that created water damage over time, that wouldn't be covered. It simply comes down to if your water damage was caused by a covered event such as a storm or if the water damage happened because you failed to keep your house repaired which would not be covered. If you are unsure as to what kind of water damage is covered, carefully read through your home insurance policy or call your the company.

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Hurricane Preparedness Week May 23rd - 29th, 2010

How to prepare well before a hurricane hits 

Most people do not think of preparing for a hurricane until the threat is imminent. Preseason hurricane preparedness focuses on tasks that one would usually not have the time to complete once a hurricane is forecast to impact a community. These types of jobs may take days or longer to be properly prepared. Knowing how to be prepared for severe tropical weather first focuses on taking an inventory on which issues would impact your property and family. Once the inventory is taken, the items then should be prioritized as to the potential negative impact it could cause if not rectified. 

What to prepare for... 

Before knowing how to prepare for a hurricane, one needs to know what to prepare for. A hurricane brings a number of threats: high winds, storm surge, tornadoes, and flooding.

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Grilling Safety Trivia

1. Do more home fires result from gas or charcoal grills?

The correct answer is gas grills. Although gas grills are used roughly 1.5 times as often as charcoal grills, they are involved in five times as many fires. Fire hazards are greater when a flammable or combustible gas or liquid is involved.

2. TRUE OR FALSE: The lid should always be open when lighting a gas grill.

The correct answer is “TRUE”. Always keep the lid open to prevent a flash-off from gas buildup.

3. TRUE OR FALSE: When lighting a gas grill, you should always start with the burner on high.

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Tornado Survival Skills

Tornado Survival Skills

Familiarize yourself with the terms that are used to identify a tornado hazard.

A tornado watch means a tornado is possible in your area. You should monitor NOAA Weather Radio (www.weather.gov/nwr), local radio and television news outlets for the latest developments.

A tornado warning comes when a tornado is actually occurring. Take shelter immediately.
Determine in advance where you will take shelter in case of a tornado warning.
Storm cellars or basements provide the best protection.

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STORM TRIVIA

1. The Fujita scale measures the strength of what?

A. Hurricanes
B. Tornadoes
C. Wind

The answer is B. Tornadoes.

2. TRUE OR FALSE: A severe thunderstorm is the same as any other storm.

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Planning For Pet Disaster Needs

Today much emphasis is put on planning ahead for disasters. Many families now have disaster supply kits, escape plans and emergency contacts prepared in case of an emergency. But what about the furry members of our families (or feathered or scaley in some cases)? Do you know what you would do with your pet if a disaster struck your area?

Here are some helpful tips from FEMA...

Identify Shelter:

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Prepare for Tornado Season

Tornado season is officially here! It hasn't started out with a bang like last year, but it's still very important to plan ahead to protect your homes and families.

Here are some facts about storms...

They may occur singly, in clusters, or in lines.

Some of the most severe occur when a single thunderstorm affects one location for an extended time.

Thunderstorms typically produce heavy rain for a brief period, anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

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Do you I.C.E.?

When there's an emergency often EMS responders don't know who to contact. A movement that started in England has caught on in the US. It turns your cellphone into a way for EMS or hospital personnel to contact your next of kin, doctor, etc. in a case of emergency if you were unconscious or unable to respond. Here's the idea: You list all of your emergency contacts under "ICE" in your cell phone (acronym for In Case of Emergency). You can list ICE1, ICE2, ICE3, etc to list multiple contacts. Or you could do ICE-wife, ICE-doctor, etc. It's good to put a small sticker on your phone with "I.C.E." on it. 75% of people don't carry any emergency contacts. And a driver's license just doesn't provide enough information. ICE should NOT replace a card that you carry in your wallet or purse with emergency contact numbers, medical conditions, current medications, dangerous allergies, etc. I'm going to ask Summer, our graphics expert, if she will make up a card for all of our Champion personnel that they can fill out and we can laminate and keep with us. Or you can go to medids.com and fill out a form on your computer that you can carry with you and put one on your refrigerator at home. Believe it or not, that's where firemen and other EMS personnel look for contact information! But it will be up to you to "ICE"!

Larry Banach - Construction Department Manager

Fire Extinguisher Safety

Being prepared and able to fight small fires can prevent massive fire damage and save you the need for fire and smoke restoration services.

Before considering fighting any fire there are a few things that you should know.

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