Riverside, Are You Ready for a Disaster? Prepare Now During National Preparedness Month!

9/1/2021 (Permalink)

"Prepare to Protect” - Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.

"Prepare to Protect”

Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.

National Preparedness Month (NPM) is an observance each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. The 2021 theme is “Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.”

Why is it so important to be prepared?  We are facing disasters more frequently.  Not only natural disasters but disaster in our own home or business can happen at anytime. 

Wildfires-2021 Fire Season Outlook

While wildfires are a natural part of California’s landscape, the fire season in California and across the West is starting earlier and ending later each year. Climate change is considered a key driver of this trend. Warmer spring and summer temperatures, reduced snowpack, and earlier spring snowmelt create longer and more intense dry seasons that increase moisture stress on vegetation and make forests more susceptible to severe wildfire. The length of fire season is estimated to have increased by 75 days across the Sierras and seems to correspond with an increase in the extent of forest fires across the state. NIFC predicts portions of the Coast Ranges, Sierra, and Cascades in California increasing to above normal fire danger in June and July and continuing through September.

Hurricanes

Hurricane Ida just made landfall in Louisiana, it was more powerful than Katrina exactly 16 years ago to date.

Katrina first made landfall early on August 29, 2005, as a Category 3 storm with maximum winds of about 125 mph near Buras, Louisiana, the National Hurricane Center said. It had been a Category 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico and weakened significantly before making landfall, but that prior strength meant that it created a very high storm surge.

Earthquakes

Earthquaketrack.com provided these statistics as of 8/30/21:

California, United States has had: (M1.5 or greater)

• 28 earthquakes in the past 24 hours
• 224 earthquakes in the past 7 days
• 885 earthquakes in the past 30 days
• 11,314 earthquakes in the past 365 days

*Insurance Information Institute calculations, based on ISO®, a Verisk Analytics® business, data for homeowners insurance claims from 2015-2019

Insurance Claims

In additional to natural disasters, there are the disasters that occur at home due to damage caused by fire and water.  These are sobering statistics.  These same causes can also impact your business!

Homeowners Insurance Claims Frequency*

• About one in 20 insured homes has a claim each year.  
• About one in 40 insured homes has a property damage claim related to wind or hail each year.
• About one in 50 insured homes has a property damage claim caused by water damage or freezing each year.
• About one in 365 insured homes has a property damage claim related to fire and lightning.
• About one in 425 insured homes has a property damage claim due to theft each year.
• About one in 1,440 homeowners policies has a liability claim related to the cost of lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage that the policyholder or family members cause to others.

*Insurance Information Institute calculations, based on ISO®, a Verisk Analytics® business, data for homeowners insurance claims from 2015-2019

How can we prepare our families and Business'? 

Ready.gov has provided weekly themes. Review these with you family.  Make everyone aware of yur family or business emergency plan.  Schools hold fire evacuation and earthquake drills.  Each family can plan to do the same.  Ready.gov provides tools and resources to help with your planning.  We will blog about the themes each week!

Weekly Themes

Each week in September, the campaign will focus on a different aspect of preparedness for individuals, families and communities.

Week 1 September 1-4: Make A Plan

Talk to your friends and family about how you will communicate before, during, and after a disaster. Make sure to update your plan based on the Centers for Disease Control recommendations due to the coronavirus.

Week 2 September 5-11: Build A Kit

Gather supplies that will last for several days after a disaster for everyone living in your home.  Don’t forget to consider the unique needs each person or pet may have in case you have to evacuate quickly. Update your kits and supplies based on recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control.

Week 3 September 12-18: Prepare for Disasters

Limit the impacts that disasters have on you and your family.  Know the risk of disasters in your area and check your insurance coverage. Learn how to make your home stronger in the face of storms and other common hazards and act fast if you receive a local warning or alert.

Week 4 September 19-24: Teach Youth About Preparedness

Talk to your kids about preparing for emergencies and what to do in case you are separated. Reassure them by providing information about how they can get involved.

Please follow us on social media for timely tips and ways to keep your loved ones and business ready for any type of emergency. 

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Please check out our Website for more tips on:

Water Damage

Fire Damage

Commercial Damage