How To Secure Your Apartment Before A Hurricane Evacuation
When a hurricane threatens your community, it’s easy to forget or overlook some crucial steps to secure your home and possessions, especially if you are preparing to evacuate. Perhaps more devastating is returning home to damages that could have easily been prevented or mitigated.
To ensure your apartment remains as secure as possible, follow these simple hurricane preparedness tips courtesy of Contemporary Management Concepts, LLLP before and after evacuation orders are issued.
Contact us today to learn more about the peace of mind that comes from living in a community that supports residents in times of disaster!
Before The Evacuation Is Issued
When it comes to safety, preparation is key. While you might go the entire hurricane season without evacuating, it’s best to prepare beforehand to ensure that the most time-intensive tasks are out of the way. Even if you’re not evacuating, following this checklist can help keep your home safe if the hurricane hits your area.
- Invest in insurance. Having apartment insurance can help you recover from in the event of property damage. Make sure that your coverage includes natural disasters, including hurricanes.
- Make a plan. Plan in advance where you will go during an evacuation and how to get there. Are you going to stay with a friend or family member, or head to a shelter? Also, don’t forget to bring essential supplies, such as food, water, and medications.
- Secure important items. While insurance can cover property damages, it can’t replace things such as family heirlooms. Ensure that documents, such as social security cards, birth certificates, and anything that’s irreplaceable, remain properly secured or packed to take with you.
- Take pictures. Taking pictures of your apartment pre-hurricane can help you establish an insurance claim. Be sure to take images both inside and outside your home.
- Install shutters. Placing shutters on windows and glass doors can help protect your home from storm damage and would-be looters. Check with your community to see if there are any regulations on shutters.
- Store outdoor items. Patio furniture, outdoor machinery and tools, grills, and playsets can easily become dangerous projectiles in the event of a hurricane. Store these items in a garage or indoor storage area before the storm hits.
- Prep pet necessities. Make sure to pack more than enough food, medicine, and toys to evacuate with your pet. Having a leash and secure travel crate is also essential for their safety.
Before Evacuating
Once hurricane evacuation has begun, you’ll be dealing with limited time. At this point, you should pack everything you need for at least a week and do a once over of your home before heading out. Leaving as soon as possible helps you arrive at your destination safely before the hurricane hits. Before heading out, check off these last-minute tasks.
- Elevate items that can be destroyed by water. Doing so is particularly important if you live on the bottom floor. Move electronics such as computers, televisions, charging stations, and power strips off the floor and onto tables away from windows, especially if you weren’t able to shutter up. Also, move up books, video games, and paperwork.
- Shut off your utilities. Turn off your water and gas mains before leaving. Doing so will prevent additional damage and potentially hazardous situations. Even though you will probably lose power during the storm, you can also turn off the electricity at the circuit breaker. Check with your office in advance if you’re unsure how to turn these off.
- Properly secure doors. While locking and securing exterior doors is a must, closing interior bedroom doors can also help depressurize your home in case of a window breaking, which is especially crucial if you live on the top floor.