Insurance

Hurricane Planning Checklist

Its hurricane season again. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from today June 1st through November 30th every year. Some years are worse in terms of damage than others — 2005 remains the busiest season for the Atlantic region on record with 28 named storms — but every hurricane season brings the potential for significant weather events between the Caribbean and eastern Canada. What’s the forecast for 2015? For what it is worth, many weather experts are predicting an unusually quiet year for hurricanes in 2015. Colorado State University has predicted no more than seven named storms this year, three of which will be hurricane-strength, but only one that’s a category 3 or higher. [Related: Florida’s hurricane-free stretch has Citizens bracing for storms]We aren’t in the thick of hurricane season yet, but it is never too early for homeowners and family in the potential path of these storms to prepare for the worst. So, to protect your home and family we have prepared thus Family Hurricane Planning Checklist for you. EMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-54884

If you weren’t aware the 2015 Atlantic Hurricane season begins on June 1st. For Floridians this time of the year can bring added stress to the life of a homeowner with the threat of structural damage to the home. While many are aware of Hurricane Season many are unaware of what to expect each year, here is some more info on this years season and what the experts expect.Firstly a typical Florida Hurricane Season will bring 12 tropical storms with sustained winds of 39 mph, six of which will turn into hurricanes having winds of 74 mph or greater, and three major hurricanes category three of higher with winds reaching at least 111 mph. Three hurricanes may make you feel a bit nervous, however hurricanes that make landfall should be your chief concern and Florida has not had a hurricane make landfall in the past decade.So we know what a typical season looks like, what are the experts saying about this years? This year the Weather Channel is predicting this year’s season to be slightly less active than average. So far they’ve named nine storms, five hurricanes, and one major hurricane this year. Most other agencies are predicting a quiet Hurricane Season as well. The Global Weather Oscillations Inc. is the only agency  predicting the opposite. They predict the 2015 season will be the most dangerous in the last three years. They’re forecasting 14 named tropical storms, with 8 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes.With all the speculation about this years season it is important to be as prepared as possible. Please see our earlier post on Preparing for a Hurricane, and look out for future posts on the 2015 Florida Hurricane Season.EMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884

Click here to view the simulated effects of a hurricane as it increases in intensity. EMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884

                      Home Inventory ChecklistA Record of Your WorthYour homeowners insurance provides coverage for the contents of your home, up to a limit, which you have selected with your insurance agent. In the event of a total loss, you would be expected to provide a list of all of your personal property that was damaged, along with its estimated value.If a loss occurred today, would you be able to compile such a list? Would you trust yourself to remember every item in your home, and the approximate value of each item?If you’re like most people, it would be very difficult. That’s why Emerge Insurance Agency has developed this Home Inventory Checklist. It’s a simple fill-in-the-blank worksheet that takes minutes to complete but could save you hours of frustration if you ever have a loss.Get Your Free Home Inventory Checklist – DownloadEMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884

Hurricane Season is fast approaching so with that in mind we have developed a checklist to help our owners/ residents prepare. Don’t wait until a hurricane watch/ warning is issued; start getting prepared now!I. During Hurricane Season:

Check your homeowners and/or boat insurance carefully to see what you will need to do to file a claim.

Learn safe routes inland and plan where you would evacuate to.

Inventory property….with video if possible. Determine what will need to be removed from patios and/or condo. Write down serial numbers for appliances, computer equipment, etc.

Keep all legal documents such as registration, insurance policies, rental agreements in one secure, moveable container. 

Stock first aid kit, batteries, radio, non-perishable food, etc.

Make sure emergency contact information is current and on file with Spooner’s Creek office.

II. When Hurricane Watch is Issued:

Review/ test condition of emergency equipment; ie. First aid kits, flashlights, radios, generators, etc

Remove ALL patio furniture from condo balconies.

Complete stocking of emergency supplies:

Flashlights

Battery operated radio

First Aid Kit

Non-perishable food

Eating Utensils

Manual Can Opener

WATER- 1 gallon per person per day

Medicine

Pet food

Insect repellant

Extra garbage bags

Ice 

Fuel car and generator.

Be sure all windows and doors are securely closed and locked.

Remove items from refrigerator/ freezer- power will likely go off.

Have enough cash for 4-5 days

III. When Hurricane Warning Issued: If you are evacuating:

Plan to leave early!

Notify site manager you are leaving and provide temporary contact information.

Turn off water to condo.

Disconnect electrical appliances, except for refrigerator. 

Empty refrigerator of perishable items- expect to lose electricity!

Bring all medications and special medical devices. 

Pack personal hygiene items, ie, soap, washcloths, towels, toothpaste, toothbrush,     deodorant, first aid kit

Take all important legal documents with you (insurance policies, proof of residence, property inventory, etc.)

Extra pillows and bedding.

Plan for enough supplies to last each family member 5 days.

If you are staying in your Condo:

Purchase all necessary emergency supplies.

Fill bathtubs with water to enable you to flush toilets and purchase bottled water for drinking.

Charge cellular phones.

Have plenty of canned food with manual can-opener. 

Make sure you have enough supply of prescription medications. 

Have supplies of extra batteries.

EXPECT TO LOSE POWER- Have flashlights close by.

Make sure to know routes to stairs- elevators will be shut down before the storm.

Fill a cooler with ice. You may want to consider purchasing dry ice for freezers and refrigerators in case of extended power loss.

IV. After the Storm passes:

Don’t leave building until officials say it is safe to do so.

Inspect unit for damage.

Don’t call police or emergency officials unless you have a life threatening emergency. 

Follow curfews if they are put in place.

Avoid driving as much as possible to leave roads open for utility and emergency crews.

Take pictures of any damage to your unit and report claims to insurance company

EMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884

Why is hurricane preparation so important? In Florida state and federal will issue alerts and then a warning is usually 36 hours before anything happens. It’s true, authorities try to do their best to warn and help the population reach a safe place before all hell breaks loose, but if you and your family are prepared and know what to do you can go and help someone else who is (maybe) in a lot more trouble. Hurricanes are preceded by panic, disorganization and total craziness and followed by suffering and losses. These are some pretty difficult situations that authorities have to put up with and it’s nice to try and make their job a little easier. And, at the end of the day, who doesn’t want to know that their family is prepared in case of an emergency situation? Even though the warnings are issued with 48 to 36 hours before the hurricane strikes, the warning was preceded by alerts, the wind is already pretty strong and the rain is falling heavily. There is no sure way of predicting what a hurricane might do. This is why it is very important to be prepared: knowledge is power and you definitely will want your family members to have that power. You shouldn’t let your family become a burden simply because you don’t believe in preparedness! In order to help with your hurricane preparedness checklist we put together a few dos and don’ts that might prove very useful:

Start preparing with a few weeks before the hurricane season.

Check your old hurricane supplies and refresh the ones that need to. Check expiration dates on cans, first aid kits, juice boxes, etc.

Don’t hide your emergency kit in a place that is hard to reach – you’ll need it in handy.

Don’t take foods that need cooking with you. Canned and dried foods are the best solution.

Build a plan and involve your family. This way they will understand it and they’ll know how to act in a difficult situation.

Think about evacuation situation – where will you stay if you have to evacuate? Contact your friends and family and find out if they can host you.

Discuss different scenarios with your family members. For example, what to do if you get separated and how to find each other.

Don’t overthink it. Create simple strategies that are easy to follow and understand.

Stay informed. Teach your children which radio station to listen in order to get updates on the storm.

Don’t wait until the last minute to buy hurricane supplies. In a crisis situation store shelves empty rapidly and you might be the one who didn’t make it in time to the store.

Although this is a rather short list, compared to the seriousness of a hurricane, it covers the basics. We also hope that it’s a wakeup call for people who live in hurricane the most hurricane affected area in the world. Please realize that a hurricane is a very serious situation.EMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884

Private insurance companies are aggressively competing with the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and the marketplace is developing rapidly. By federal law, the Biggert Waters Flood Insurance and Modernization Act of 2012, private flood insurance now meets federal flood insurance purchase requirements.Here are some facts about flood insurance whether its private or government:Fact #1 You do not need to live near water to be flooded. Nearly 20 percent of flood insurance claims come from moderate-to-low risk areas. Floods are caused by storms, hurricanes, water backup due to inadequate or overloaded drainage systems (especially in areas with new residential or commercial development replacement large land areas), as well as broken water mains.Fact #2 Even a few inches of water can cause extensive costly damage. Just a few inches of water from a flood can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage. From 2008 to 2012, the average residential flood claim amounted to more than $38,000. Flood insurance is the best way to protect yourself from devastating financial loss.Fact #3 Flood damage is not covered by homeowners or business insurance policies. Although flood losses are NOT covered by homeowners or commercial policies, you can protect your home, business, and belongings with flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program and now with Private Flood Insurance. Flood insurance is available as a separate policy to homeowners, renters, condo owners/renters, and commercial owners/renters. Flood insurance policies cover physical damage to your property and possessions.Fact #4 Flood insurance is affordable. Close to 90 private insurance companies offer affordable flood insurance backed by the federal government. Private Flood is even more affordable and has more flexibility in designing coverage that the federal program. For the federal program rates are set and do not differ from company to company or agent to agent. These rates depend on several factors, including the date and type of construction of your home, amount of coverage, elevation, and your area’s level of risk.According to the NFIP, the average annual flood insurance premium in Massachusetts is $1,086. Our Private Florida Insurance Program (PFIP) gives the dwelling owner the ability to design coverage and the premium to not set by the government, but on community and other underwriting risk factorFact #5 Flood insurance is easy to get. The NFIP, a federal program, offers flood insurance, which can be purchased through most leading insurance companies. You can buy flood insurance through us!Fact #6 Contents coverage is available for renters to insure their belongings. All policy forms provide coverage for buildings and contents. However, you might want to discuss insuring personal property with your agent, since contents coverage is optional. Up to $100,000 in contents coverage is available for renters as well as homeowners.Fact #7 Non-residential buildings and their contents are eligible for higher coverage. Flood losses are NOT covered by commercial insurance policies. However, you can get flood insurance for up to $500,000 per building and $500,000 for the contents of each non-residential building. Fact #8 There is a 30 day waiting period before coverage goes into effect. Typically, a flood insurance policy doesn’t go into effect until 30 days from it’s purchase date. That means now is the best time to buy flood insurance.Fact #9 Federal disaster relief will not help you. While FEMA provides aid only in presidentially declared disasters, flood insurance covers flood damages regardless if it is a declared disaster or not. For questions or more information, please call our office today to speak to an expert.EMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884

If you’re looking for a meal packed with protein but you want to skip eating meat here’s the perfect recipe. This is an easy dinner to prepare that will last you most of the week. Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced 
1 tablespoon of oil 
1 tablespoon of ground coriander 
1 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste
3/4 cups of quinoa rinsed  
2 cups of chickpeas, or one can drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of water or veggie stock
A squeeze of lemon juice

EMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884Source: www.fooddoddles.com

In a medium sized pot heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute till the onion softens before adding the garlic and cooking for a couple more minutes.  Add all the spices and stir well and continue to cook until fragrant.  Add the tomato paste and mix well before adding the quinoa, chickpeas and water.  Mix again and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down to simmer the quinoa mixture and cover with a lid.  Cook for 20 minutes then shut off the heat and leave covered for 5-10 minutes before serving.  I like to serve this with a small squeeze of lemon over top or just a pinch more salt and some herbs chopped and sprinkled over top.