What Is Your Opinion About This Hurricane Season? – 3 Hugely Important Tips

Denying That Hurricane Season Could Impact You?

It’s being reported that the Florida Division of Emergency Management says almost two-thirds of people who live in hurricane evacuation zones didn’t know they would be at risk, and that most people polled don’t have a definite evacuation plan. For the story, go to http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/hurricane-apathy-polls_2010-06-03. I previously reported in my interview of hurricane experts at the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando that there is a consensus from hurricane labs and research centers North to South, East to West that there is a severe hurricane season ahead.

In a personal conversation with Deborah Schuneman, director of the national research center and clearinghouse for Small Business Development Centers, (www.SBDCNet.org) the need for small businesses to prepare and have a plan will make the difference between survival and closing, even if the business is not at ground zero. And including, in that plan, a contingency for saving assets (artwork, intellectual and creative property), company records, employee personal items, legal papers, collectibles and historical material etc can make a huge difference in the result or effectiveness of that plan.

There are ways to protect your personal possessions.

Why are you special? Why can’t bad things happen to you? Have you ever had a near miss or been involved with a disaster, fire, car accident, or major illness? Even if you have never been hit with a disaster, you take precautions: a spare tire and seat belts in the car, insurance coverage, candles-food storage-first aid kit in storage, locks on your doors, an alarm system, fire extinguishers.

3 Hugely Important Tips!

1. A grab n’ go kit with documents, ownership certificates, medical info, emergency contact info, important photos and certificates, videos of contents etc

2. A back up of digitized important info in a separate location

3. Update your records: appraisals, inventory, video of contents, copy new receipts. Think ahead of what the insurance company will ask you for to PROVE you owned something, what it was worth and what condition it was in. DON’T depend on your bank or lawyer to provide you with back up (extremely expensive even if they are able to provide it).

These items can be as easy to put together as getting your location set up for fire extinguishers or alarming your premises… and even more important. These tips may mean the difference in being able to reopen after a disaster has come to your area.

FEMA reports that water damage is the source of more damage than any other disaster. You can plan ahead for these events with very little effort with help from www.saveyourstuffblog.com. Matt Steward, disaster relief community volunteer, wrote home to parents that when he arrived in a devastated area where flooding had occurred in Ohio, “All they had us do was look for people’s memorabilia floating in the water.”

Only two inches of water can put you knee deep in debt

After a hurricane or heavy storm and everyone is safe and accounted for, the biggest reason people mourn after the disaster is for the lost memories, keepsakes, collectibles, photos, family history and things that can’t be paid for by insurance. For businesses, the matter is even more dire: the loss of intellectual property, collections and items that make up the corporate culture can badly cripple the reopening. But there are ways to prepare for the shaking, water damage and mold.

For additional information go to www.saveyourstuff.com