The Professional Expert

Emergency Preparedness - Around the House

Springtime gives a hint of the sunny, warm summer weather to come.  However, there is a darker side to summer weather, the occasional big storm, tornado, or hurricane.  Spring is a good time to review preparations for the (remote) possibility of “the big one.” 

Around the House:

It is a good idea to clean up any debris left over from the winter, especially those things that reappear after the snow melts, such as toys, gloves, newspapers and other debris. 

Check around for broken tree branches and other damage from the winter’s snow and ice.  Remove diseased and damaged limbs.

This is also a good time to look around for anything that could become airborne during a strong windstorm and cause damage to the house or car.

Make sure all of the windows work, so there can be a quick exit if necessary. If you are on the second floor, have a plan for getting to the ground floor, such as having a foldable ladder already upstairs.

Check the fire extinguishers. Look at the gauge and verify that the pressure is in the green.

Make sure there are smoke alarms outside each sleeping area and on each level of your home. Test them and vacuum away dust monthly and replace the batteries once a year. Replace the smoke alarms every ten years since they become less sensitive over time.

If your home uses natural gas, consider getting Carbon Monoxide Detectors.

If you are along the coast where hurricanes are possible, install hurricane shutters or purchase ½” precut outdoor plywood for your windows. Install the anchors around your window and pre-drill the holes in the plywood so you are ready to put them up quickly if needed.

Understand your home insurance policy. Some natural disasters, such as flooding, may not be covered.

Tomorrow we’ll discuss Family Disaster Planning…

No Comments yet »

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

Leave a comment