Protecting Your Assets During A Catastrophe
Posted: December 1st, 2016
Protecting Your Assets During a Catastrophe
Written by: Jo Garcia | Octiber 5, 2016
Living in sunny Florida can be like living in a vacation paradise most days of the year. We have the beautiful Florida sunrises, magnificent colors of the sunsets, sandy beaches, warm weather, fresh picked Florida oranges and so much more. If you live in Florida for any given amount of time, there are a few things you can count on:
* The Publix sub you order will taste like the next best thing to a home cooked meal
* You can wear sandals almost anywhere
* Florida has three seasons: Summer, Lovebug Season, and Hurricane Season
The Florida summers ensures that you always have sunscreen stocked at your home, you know that lovebugs will eat the paint off your car, and you know that anything less than a category 3 is just a bad storm. Now what happens if the hurricane is stronger than a category 3? A tornado crawls through your town? A brush fire spreads nearby because it’s been so hot out? Or another natural disaster comes crashing in? All over the United States, many people and families are devastated by natural disasters. What can we do to protect our loved ones and most valuable possessions from destruction?
There are several ways to keep your family, home and assets safe during any natural disaster.
- Get Great Insurance – The costliest natural disaster in U.S. History was Hurricane Katrina in 2005. According to CNN Library, although Hurricane Katrina was only a Category 3 hurricane by landfall, it caused $108 billion in damages with $47.6 billion in insurance payouts over twelve U.S. States, combined, including Florida and Louisiana. The residents of the 12-states struck by Hurricane Katrina know, all too well, the importance of having great insurance coverage. When speaking to your insurance agent, make sure to ask them about natural disaster coverage for your home, boat, and vehicle. The extra dollars you’ll pay for flood insurance and natural disaster insurance are worth it, especially if your home or vehicle gets destroyed in a hurricane, flood, tornado, fire or earthquake. Be sure, when you’re insuring your home, to include flood insurance – even if you’re not in a flood zone; a tornado or hurricane can often bring about flooding. The most comprehensive disaster insurance policies include total replacement costs if your home or vehicle becomes so badly damaged.
- Be Physically Prepared – In addition to covering yourself with property insurance, there are some preparations that you can also do to ensure additional safe coverage for your family and assets.
* If you don’t have a security box at a local bank, you can still secure your important documents (e.g. birth certificates, car titles, mortgage paperwork) by placing them in waterproof bags and secure them in a fireproof/waterproof safe.
* Create a safety plan for you and your family. Make sure everyone in your family knows the evacuation route and you have a safe place to stay in the case of evacuation.
* If you have children, be sure that they have a list of emergency contacts and contact information just in case you get separated.
* Don’t wait for the last minute to stock up on emergency supplies. Make sure that you have a secured plastic bin ready to go filled with an inventory of disaster essentials: g. first aid kit, 3-gallons of water per person in your family, batteries, battery-operated radio, flashlights, non-perishable food items. Be sure to check for food expiration dates at least once a year.
* Have you ever heard of hurricane straps and ties? It’s a low cost way to secure your roof to make sure it doesn’t fly off in a hurricane, or tornado.
* You can always hire a licensed home inspector to come to your home and give you some suggestions on how you can better protect your home in case of a natural disaster. This is a great way to help increase the value of your home too, if you’re thinking about selling.
No one wants to think that their home or vehicle could be destroyed by a natural disaster, nor does anyone imagine that there would ever be a day when they couldn’t keep their family safe. If you take the time to plan ahead and prepare before a natural disaster hits, you can significantly lessen the blow that your family and your home might experience.
The matters discussed here are general in nature and are not to be relied upon as legal advice. Every specific legal matter requires specific legal attention.
The law is constantly changing and matters discussed today may not be the same tomorrow. Legal matters are also subject to different interpretations by attorneys, judges, jurors and scholars. No attorney-client relationship is intended or created as a result of matters discussed here. You should consult counsel of your choice if you have any dealings in these areas of the law. Volk Law Offices, P.A. and its attorneys make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the matters addressed.