Don’t you just love hurricane season?
We’re guessing you probably said no—with gusto…right?
We get it. We don’t like it either, but when you live in Florida, hurricanes are just part of our way of life. Since we can’t stop the hurricanes, we have to proactively prepare for them.
Here are 5 ways to effectively prepare for hurricane season.
1. Home Inventory
When you are told to prepare for hurricane season, most people stock up on necessities such as food, water, and toiletries, etc. then stop. However, there is so much more that needs to be done.
Making a written and digital home inventory of everything you own is one of the most important things you can do. If you think about it if your home was destroyed in a hurricane, would you remember how many pairs of socks, shirts, pants, dishes, kitchen utensils, kids’ toys, etc. you have? Probably not. But, if you had a video of every square inch of your home and inside of every drawer, etc. you would easily be able to assess your belongings and include them on your claim. You would also have proof of your belongings to show the insurance company. So there wouldn’t be any question about the payout of your claim.
Make sure you take pictures of everything on the inside of your home, outside of your home including pictures of your house (so the insurance company can see the damage was not preexisting), garage, storage sheds, etc.
Also, don’t forget to store your home inventory documentation to several places such as putting your flash drive in a safe deposit box, sending your videos to a digital cloud storage such as Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.
2. Verify and Copy Your Insurance Policy
Make sure your homeowner’s insurance coverage is up to date with what you own now—not what you owned years ago when you took out your policy. Also, it’s a good idea to copy the coverage and claims pages and keep in your wallet, purse, or as a picture on your phone in case your home is damaged or destroyed to the point you can’t find your policy.
3. Prepare and Secure
It’s a good idea to stock up on things like tarps, plywood, nails, camp stove, propane, matches, sandbags, etc. You don’t need the sand just yet, but you can certainly go ahead and get the actual bags because you may or may not be able to get them if you wait until a hurricane is approaching.
4. List of Contractors
After a hurricane, when you probably won’t have access to power or any normal way of functioning, isn’t the time to try and find a reputable contractor to help you. It’s best to research reputable contractors prior to a disaster. Then keep a list of your roofing contractor and other contractor contacts where you can easily access them after a hurricane.
5. Other Important Hurricane Preparation Mentions
- Check your roof’s warranty and note any pertinent information.
- Clean all gutters, downspouts, and drains.
- Trim and/or remove all nearby trees and overhanging branches.
- Secure all loose items in your yard so they can’t easily blow away.
- Avoid fly-by-night and budget contractors, especially those who approach you unsolicited.
- Schedule a roof inspection to proactively identify anything that could cause problems during the storm.
What’s Next?
If you want to learn more about how to prepare your roof and home for hurricane season, or have other roofing issues, please Contact Us today. Perry Roofing Contractors in Gainesville, FL has been serving this area since 1976 and we look forward to serving you too!