Preparing for the Hurricane? Here's a Guide

This week has already been a lesson that extreme weather can happen anywhere and Fairfield County is not immune to earthquake tremors, hurricanes, or other forms of extreme weather.

“People have to think proactively regarding natural and man-made disasters, think ‘What if?’ Have a plan and have an emergency kit,” Chris Munger, Stamford's special assistant to the mayor for emergency planning and training, told Patch.

Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, but September typically sees more activity than any other month. A hurricane can bring with it strong winds, flooding, and tornados, so having a plan and staying informed is critical to keeping everyone in your household safe.

“Be informed, follow the track of the hurricane and take the risks seriously,” Michael Devulpillieres of the Greater New York Chapter of the American Red Cross said. “Even if a storm makes a direct hit miles south, there will still be significant rain, there can still be damage here. A lot of people think a hurricane can’t hit New York and New England, but they have in the past and they do a lot of damage when they do.”

There are two types of emergency plans to have in place—a plan to shelter-in-place during a storm and a plan in case of evacuation. In addition to having an emergency plan for the home, it is critical to take a minute to find out the emergency plans for the places where family members spend time — the office, school or daycare.

Preparing for an approaching storm, bring in loose items from the yard that could become airborne. Turn the refrigerator and freezer to their coldest setting so that food will stay cold longer if you lose electricity.  If you will be sheltering in place, plan to take shelter away from windows in an interior room or closet—best of all is an interior bathroom. If you live in a condominium or apartment complex, a first floor interior hallway is recommended.

“You need what’s important if you’re sheltering-in-place—the food, the water, a battery-powered radio—it’s also important to keep any kind of specialized needs, especially if you have elderly family members, children or pets,” Devulpillieres said.

The following items are recommended for a basic emergency kit. The kit should contain supplies for at least three days, and, if you can, up to two-weeks.

• Water—one gallon per person, per day
• Food—non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items
• Manual can opener
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Medications and medical items
• Tools: a multi-purpose tool, wrench or pliers
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust masks
• Plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies) in a waterproof container
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Emergency blankets and sleeping bags
• Map(s) of the area

Addition items, based on the needs of each household, may include medical supplies like a hearing aid with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, or syringes. If you have small children, extra baby supplies and games/activities to keep them occupied and calm.

Editor's note: Here are

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Part 2: Prepare Your Insurance: Tips from The Hartford

The following information on preparing your insurance coverage for a disaster is quoted from a news release sent Thursday by The Hartford insurance company:

Lisa Lobo, consumer insurance expert for The Hartford, recommends looking at the following eight items to make sure you have the proper coverage:

1. Wind Coverage: “Many homeowners aren’t aware of the need for wind coverage or if they have wind coverage,” says Lobo. In the event of a hurricane, you must have wind coverage within your home insurance policy to receive compensation for damage. If you live in a high risk coastal area, you may need to purchase wind coverage from your state wind pool or association, or from a surplus lines insurer.

2. Flood insurance: Flood insurance is not covered on homeowners policies – it is a separate insurance policy that is needed to cover damage that results from flooding, even if the flooding was caused by a hurricane. For more information on flood insurance, visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s information page at www.fema.gov/nfip (link to: http://www.fema.gov/business/nfip/)

3. Deductibles: You may have a different deductible for a storm than you would for an event like a burglary or fire. Your policy may have a hurricane deductible or a wind deductible. These deductibles are typically based on a home’s insured value and are a percentage of your home’s value at the time of the storm, rather than the traditional set dollar deductible. If, for example, a house is insured for $100,000 and has a 2 percent deductible, the first $2,000 of a claim would be paid by the policyholder.  Percentage deductibles may vary from 1 to 5 percent. And in some coastal areas with high wind risk, wind or hurricane deductibles can be even higher.

4. Students: If you have a child living away from home while in school, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your child’s items that may have been damaged during a storm at his or her school. Check with your insurance agent or insurance carrier to see what might be covered.

5. Reimbursement for living expenses: Most policies include reimbursement for living expenses if you are forced to live elsewhere while storm damage to your home is repaired, but this does not include lodging costs if you are simply forced to evacuate your home. Planning for these expenses ahead of time can make evacuation go more smoothly.

6. Replacement costs: Check to see if your policy will cover the replacement cost of your property or only its actual cash value (ACV), which factors in depreciation. It’s not uncommon for policies to provide actual cash value for damaged possessions. For example, you may only be reimbursed $500 for the $2,000 television purchased a few years ago. Another item to keep in mind is that a standard policy generally requires the homeowner to carry a limit that is at least 80 percent of the current cost to rebuild the home. Whichever type of policy you have, it’s a good idea to make your insurance company aware of any recent upgrades and ensure that you have adequate coverage when you need it.

7. Auto coverage: Check your auto policy to see what might be covered if your vehicle is damaged in a storm. Most comprehensive policies cover storm-related damage, including flooding. So it’s best to check with your agent or insurance carrier directly to ensure you have the right protection in place.

8. Storm-resistant improvement credits: Ask your insurance provider if you are eligible for credits for hurricane-resistant improvements, such as storm shutters. You might be able to save some money.

Facing a natural disaster is a challenging experience, but having the proper insurance protection in place will help ensure things return to normal as soon as possible if a storm strikes your property. If you would like more information on how to get prepared or file a claim after a storm, The Hartford has resources available at The Hartford's website.

Part 3: Everything has a tax implication, including disasters

The following information is quoted from "IRS Summertime Tax Tip 2011-03," recently sent out by a spokesman for the Internal Revenue Service:

A home disaster can be stressful enough without reconstructing important records and accounting for belongings. The Internal Revenue Service encourages taxpayers to safeguard their financial and tax records before disaster strikes. Listed below are four simple tips for individuals on preparing for a disaster.  

1. Recordkeeping Take advantage of paperless recordkeeping for financial and tax records. Many people receive bank statements and documents electronically and important documents like W-2s and tax returns can be scanned into an electronic format and stored on a flash drive or CD in a safe place. Keep it with other essential documents like home-closing statements, vehicle titles, insurance records and birth, death or marriage certificates and legal paperwork. Some online services can automatically back up computer files and store them offsite. Regardless of how you save your documents (whether it is electronically or on paper) ensure they are safe from the elements, but also encrypted and/or locked up to guard against disclosure or theft.
2. Document Valuables The IRS has disaster loss workbooks for individuals that can help you compile a room-by-room list of your belongings. One option is to photograph or videotape the contents of your home, especially items of greater value. You should store the photos or video in a safe place away from the geographic area at risk. This will help you recall and prove the market value of items for insurance and casualty loss claims in the event of a disaster.
3. Update Emergency Plans Make sure you have a means of receiving severe weather information; if you have a NOAA Weather Radio, put fresh batteries in it. Make sure you know what you should do if threatening weather approaches or if a fire occurs.  Review your emergency plans annually.
4. Count on the IRS The IRS has valuable information you can request if your records are destroyed. If you have been affected by a federally declared disaster, you can receive copies or transcripts of previously filed tax returns free of charge by submitting Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return, or Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return.  Clearly indicate the official name of the disaster in red at the top of the form, to expedite processing and waive the usual fee for tax return copies.

Part 4: Tips on Natural Gas safety during floods

The following information is quoted from a Yankee Gas news release sent out Thursday:

Flooding can severely damage furnaces and other natural gas appliances.  The following tips may lessen or help to prevent flood damage from occurring:

What to Do in the Event of a Flood (Prior to Evacuating)

• Shut off the natural gas supply valve to all gas appliances (usually found on the gas line to the appliance).  

What to Do if You Smell a Gas Odor During or After a Flood

• Do NOT light matches, turn electrical switches on or off, or use a telephone in the building.
• If you smell gas inside your home or business, get out immediately.
• From a safe place, call Yankee Gas to report the leak at our emergency number -1.877.YG4.LEAK (944.5325).  Or call 911.
• Remain outside until Yankee Gas can send someone to check on the source of the odor.

What to Do After a Flood

• If water levels were enough to cover the gas meter, call Yankee Gas to check your meter and regulator before using your gas system.  Floodwaters may have shifted your home or caused other stresses to the natural gas piping, possibly resulting in a natural gas leak.
• Wet electrical wiring is extremely hazardous.  The appropriate utility must inspect all electrical wiring in buildings that have been partially or fully covered by floodwater before being put into service again.  Any loose wires should be considered "live" and a definite hazard.
• If flooding has been severe, natural gas appliances should not be used until inspected by a licensed plumber or contractor. 
• Do not attempt to place natural gas appliances back in service by yourself.  A licensed plumber or contractor will check, clean, repair and pressure test all gas pipes, which may have been clogged with mud or debris.
• Damage could also occur to switches, controls, thermostats, furnace heat exchangers, burners and pilot parts and rusting metals parts, to name a few.  Again, a licensed plumber or contractor must perform any reconditioning or repairs to natural gas appliances.

For more information, please visit the Yankee Gas website.

Part 5: Preparedness Tips for Pregnant Women & New Parents

The following information is quoted from a March of Dimes news release sent out Thursday:

 1) Pregnant women should know the signs labor and if they experience any of these symptoms should NOT wait for them to just go away.  They should seek immediate medical care. Preterm labor is any labor before 37 weeks gestation. The signs of labor are:

• Contractions (the abdomen tightens like a fist) every 10 minutes or more often
• Change in vaginal discharge (leaking fluid or bleeding from the vagina)
• Pelvic pressure—the feeling that the baby is pushing down
• Low, dull backache
• Cramps that feel like a period
• Abdominal cramps with or without diarrhea

 2) Pregnant women should pack prenatal vitamins, or perhaps an extra supply of over-the-counter vitamins, along with extra maternity clothes.

3) Fill prescription medications in advance.

4) Have bottled water and non-perishable food supplies on hand. Try to stock food that is high in protein and low in fat.

5) New parents who may need to stay in a shelter should consider bringing a safe place for their baby to sleep, such as a portable crib, as well as extra diapers and other basic medical supplies.

6) New parents also should take special steps to ensure they have food for their infants.  The stress of a hurricane may affect lactating women’s milk supply, although breastfeeding can be calming for both mother and baby.

7) In the rare instance it becomes impossible to continue to breastfeed, mothers may consider weaning their baby. If they choose to switch to formula, parents should use pre-prepared formula because there may be concerns about the quality of the water supply. Do not use water treated with iodine or chlorine tablets to prepare powdered formula.

8) Pregnant women should do their best to eat regularly and nutritiously and remain hydrated. They also should do their best to get enough rest.

The March of Dimes is [a] nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.