Chubb Advantage: Government Flood Insurance May Not Be Enough

Helmet and Tornado Statement

Check out this great article from the CDC:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend, as its first recommendation, that people in the path of a tornado find a shelter or a tornado-safe room. The safest place in the home is the interior part of a basement. If possible, get under something sturdy such as a heavy table or workbench. If outdoors, lie down in a gully or ditch.

We understand that people are looking for any useful and effective ways to protect themselves. We don’t have research on the effectiveness of helmet use to prevent head injuries during a tornado, but we do know that head injuries are common causes of death during tornadoes. CDC has long made the recommendation that people try to protect their heads. Because the time to react may be very short, if people choose to use helmets they should know where they are and have them readily accessible. Looking for a helmet in the few seconds before a tornado hits may delay you getting safely to shelter. If people choose to use helmets, these helmets should not be considered an alternative to seeking appropriate shelter. Rather, helmets should be considered just one part of their overall home tornado preparedness kit to avoid any delay.

CDC continues to promote protective measures for use during natural disasters including tornadoes.

More detailed information on tornado safety >

It's 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.

About 10 percent of thunderstorms are classified as severe - one that produces hail at least three-quarters of an inch in diameter, has winds of 58 miles per hour or higher, or produces a tornado.

Being prepared for a storm can not only help keep your family safe, it can also help minimize potential damage and accelerate recovery efforts. Learn how to deal with a storm, both before and after it happens, right now.

To prepare for a thunderstorm, you should do the following:

- Remove dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall and cause injury or damage during a severe thunderstorm.

- "If thunder roars, go indoors" because no place outside is safe when lightning is in the area. We want everyone to stay indoors until 30 minutes have passed after they hear the last clap of thunder.

The following are guidelines for what you should do if a thunderstorm is likely in your area:

- Postpone outdoor activities.

- Get inside a home, building, or hard top automobile (not a convertible).

- Although you may be injured if lightning strikes your car, you are much safer inside a vehicle than outside.

- Remember, rubber-soled shoes and rubber tires provide NO protection from lightning. However, the steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides increased protection if you are not touching metal.

- Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage.

Click to read more ...

Metro Atlanta Events for April 2014

April 1st - 6th: Atlanta Film Festival

April 5th: Hogs and Hops at Masquerade Music Park

April 5th: Beer Carnival at Atlantic Station

April 10th - April 27th: The Lion King at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta

April 11th: Lady Antebellum - Take Me Downtown Tour at Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood

April 11th - 13th: Atlanta Ballet Presents Hamlet at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center

April 18th - 20th: Sweetwater 420 Festival at Centennial Olympic Park

April 25th: Symphony on the Sand at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain

April 27th: Alabama at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

It's Tsunami Preparedness Week! March 23rd - 29th

Flood Safety - Preparedness and Awareness

Nearly every day, flooding happens somewhere in the United States or its territories.  Flooding can occur in any of the fifty states or U.S. territories at any time of the year. It causes more damage in the United States than any other weather related event. On average, floods cause eight billion dollars in damages and eighty nine fatalities annually. Being prepared and knowing how to stay safe will help you and your loved ones survive a flood.

Prepare:

Knowing your flood risk is the best way to prepare for flooding. Find out which flooding hazards impact your state at www.floodsafety.noaa.gov/map.shtml. You can also find out if you live in a flood plain by visiting our partners at FEMA at www.msc.fema.gov. There are many tips for what to do before, during and after a flood on our newly redesigned Flood Safety Website at www.floodsafety.noaa.gov.

Be Aware:

Find the latest forecasts and hazardous weather conditions at  weather.gov and water.weather.gov.

Forecasters in NWS offices work around the clock to ensure watches, warnings and advisories are issued to alert the public to hazardous conditions. The same information is available on your mobile device at mobile.weather.gov. Some smart phones are able to receive Flash Flood Warning alerts via the Wireless Emergency Alerts system. Visit  www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/wea.html for more information!

Another tool to alert you to hazardous conditions is NOAA All Hazards Radio. This nationwide network of radio stations broadcasts continuous weather, river and other emergency information direct from NWS offices and emergency officials. For more information, visit www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/

Stay safe during a flood by knowing your risk and where to get the latest forecast and hazard information. Be a Force of Nature!

www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/force.html

Flood Safety: Wireless Emergency Alerts

March is Poison Prevention Month

March is poison prevention month. Here are a few tips to help you protect you children:

• Put the toll-free number Poison Help Number (1-800-222-1222) into your home and cell phones. You should also post it near your phone or on your refrigerator for the babysitter.
• Store poisonous items out of reach or use safety locks on cabinets within reach.
• Make sure that all medications, including vitamins and adult medicines, are stored out of reach and out of sight or children.
• Store all household products out of children’s sight and reach. Young kids are often eye-level with items under the kitchen and bathroom sinks. So any bleach, detergents, dishwasher liquid or cleaning solutions that are kept there should find a new storage location.

Storm Season Safety

Follow Champion Construction Systems's board Storm Safety on Pinterest.

The Calm After The Storm

Here is a great article from Ready GA about the importance of taking time to prepare for weather disaster during calm weather...

From unseasonably warm temperatures to ice and snow to tornadoes, 2014 has been a wild weather roller coaster for Georgia. And that’s not all. Two earthquakes that struck South Carolina rattled Georgia, too. At 10:23 p.m. on Feb. 14, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.1 struck near Edgefield, S.C., according to the U.S. Geological Survey website. On Sunday, Feb. 16, a 3.2 aftershock near the site of Friday’s event was confirmed at 3:23 p.m. Shaking was felt hundreds of miles away.

Regardless of the severity, it’s important to spend time after any natural disaster evaluating your response and preparing for the next potential occurrence. Mother Nature can be unpredictable, so procrastination is not your friend when time is tight and every minute counts. Here are some tips to help you take advantage of this “calm after the storm.”

Evaluate:

• After-action review. Now is the perfect time to evaluate your family’s emergency plan. Take time to assess the event and research appropriate preparedness steps and responses for the next time a storm might strike.
• Take notes. Document which tools in your Ready kit were beneficial and any additional items that could be helpful for future disasters. For tips on helpful items to include in your Ready kit, click here.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Assess property damage. Check your home for damage and document it prior to clean-up or repairs. If you are a renter, report damages to your landlord as soon as possible. Make sure to review insurance coverage and report claims.