Follow these steps to keep your house ready for any natural disaster
Your home is the centre of your life. It’s where your children take first steps and speak their first words. It’s where you rest, rejuvenate, and make memories. And if you’re not prepared, one natural disaster can wipe it all away.
Are You Prepared?
It has now become clear that the ferocity and frequency of natural disasters in India and across the world are now greater than ever before. This makes us inquisitive and we often find people asking ‘is India really prepared for a natural disaster?’ We created this guide to help you prepare your home and family in case of an emergency.
1) Identify the risks
Knowing the most common hazards in your area can help you focus your preparation plans and make the necessary modifications.
2) Make an Emergency Plan
Create an emergency plan detailing where you and family members would meet up after a disaster, and how you would stay in touch. Also designate an out-of-state contact whom people can call if they're unable to get to the meeting spot.
3) Ensure Adequate Insurance Coverage
The most important financial consideration before any disaster is to find out what your home insurance does and doesn't cover and whether you need to buy supplemental coverage.
4) Store Your Documents
One key preparation step for any natural disaster is to have a digital inventory of the contents of your home, and store it in a cloud platform. This gives you access to photos of items, text inventories and other documents you need for insurance purposes.
Items that should be kept in a secure location include: house deeds, insurance policies and policy numbers, bank documents, birth and marriage certificates, passports, copies of driver’s license, stock and bond certificates, power of attorney and wills, as well as valuable jewellery.
5) Prepare Your Home
- From Earthquake
- Check the foundation and walls of your home for cracks and defects that make it particularly vulnerable to earthquake damage.
- Remove rollers from major appliances to prevent them from moving during an earthquake.
- To help prevent a fire, store all flammable liquids away from heat sources.
- From flooding
- Board up windows, keep trees trimmed, and clean debris to protect from high- intensity winds.
- Keep gutters and downspouts free of debris and ensure water is flowing away from the foundation.
- Check for cracks or small holes in the foundation and basement doors where water can seep in.
6) Prepare a Natural Disaster Kit
Your natural disaster kit should include enough items to last each person three to five days. It is suggested that you have at minimum 1 gallon of water per person, per day. Also, have plenty of non-perishable foods, preferably with a longer shelf life. In addition, it is advisable to stock up on medications, flashlights, first-aid kit, blankets, toiletries, respirator mask, blankets, whistles and clean clothes.
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