While it may not be the most common occurrence, South Texas has definitely seen its share of crazy weather, including tornado warnings and watches. Tornado season is upon us, and San Antonio-area residents can take a few small actions to prepare for severe inclement weather.
Make a Plan – First things first. Your safety and the safety of your family is a number one priority during any disaster. If something were to go wrong in the next five minutes, would you be ready to protect your family? Before tornado season begins, have a family meeting and discuss some important factors, like a keyword for emergencies to kick your family into gear. Plan a drill and practice using the keyword, and have everyone go to the designated safe spaces in your home. Time the event and practice to get it down pat. Make a list of things your family needs to do, including grabbing flashlights, batteries, snacks and water bottles if you have little ones, and a radio if possible.
Tie Down or Move Objects – Your backyard patio is likely bedazzled with furniture and plants that make your yard a beautiful and functional entertaining space, but tornado season calls for you to put all those outdoor decorations away, at least on nights of inclement weather. You can tie down furniture and umbrellas, or simply move them to the garage or shed. Plants will be torn to shreds if you leave them out, so plan to cover them or bring them in. Wind chimes, garden gnomes, even patio chairs should be put away. Outdoor pillows and pet water bowls should be brought inside.
Board the Windows & Trim Trees – Time to make a trip to Home Depot for some boards and hedge trimmers. If you’re worried about your windows breaking during a major storm, you can board up windows with plywood. Be proactive and trim any majorly swaying branches so they don’t fly off in the crazy wind. Use that handy organics bin and stuff it with your clippings and place the bin in the garage during the storm.
Prepare a Disaster Kit – It may seem a little overboard, unless you’ve crouched in the bathroom for hours during a tornado, to have a disaster kit prepared, but it only takes one time to have to experience that to make one realize it’s worth it. Especially if you have kids, you’re going to want to make the bathroom or under-the-stairs closet the most home-like place as possible so they don’t get scared. Pack a small Rubbermaid storage tub with small water bottles, miniature flashlights for each kid, snacks, and maybe a card game to distract from the scary situation. Towels, blankets, candles, a lighter, and pillows will help too. Act like you’re going to be in the closet for 24 hours and place all the items you’d need in there. Don’t forget the diaper bag for the baby and pet food if you have fur-creatures you love.
While we can’t stop the weather from happening, we can be a little more prepared for it. Take our advice to heart and you’ll be set for the spring and summer against a dangerous situation. While you’re preventing major destruction, know that you can also count on your SOGO agent to help you get organized and covered when it comes to insurance. There are several ways to protect your assets, and we can help you narrow down what exactly is best for you. You wouldn’t go outside in the rain without an umbrella, so why go through life without insurance? Call us today for more information.
In case you missed it: Check out “Four Types of Business Insurance You Don’t Want to Forget About” to make sure your business is protected from things that aren’t so random in a crazy time like this.
