How To Prepare Your Home For Severe Weather

April 17th, 2012  |  Home Insurance

Severe weather is not something that is a big concern for those living in Southwestern Ontario. The truth is that most people in this area probably don’t think about the threat of a flood or tornado. Why would they? When was the last time you were concerned when you saw that a storm was in the forecast?

However, as the world’s climate continues to change, and as events such as earthquakes, Tornados, ice storms, and extremely high winds have begun occurring in the past few years in Ontario, people need to start to take notice, and take the necessary precautions. You can never be too prepared for severe weather.

Here are some tips for how to prepare your home to make sure it can withstand the weather brought on by storms, no matter how big or small.

• Make a list of what you own: This first thing you should do as a home owner or renter is have a list of your belonging for home insurance purposes. Even if you are not concerned about severe weather, this is just a good thing to do. And, it will make the home insurance claim process go much quicker if you have to make a claim.
• Know your threats: The type of severe weather you are at risk to vary based on where you live. Know your threats and what you need to do to protect yourself.
• Have an emergency plan: Have a plan for your family in case of extreme weather occurring. Make sure that each person knows what they need to do and where they need to go.
• Have an emergency kit: Create an emergency kit and store it in a safe place in your home, ideally your meeting point. Include items such as water, first aid supplies, canned goods, flash lights, batteries, candles, blankets, a small tool kit and anything else that you may need.
• Inspect your home yearly: As part of good maintenance on your home, be sure to check for things like cracks in your foundation, properly grading on your land, and make sure you trim branches on trees that could become an issue during a storm. The better shape your home is in, the better it can withstand severe weather.