Two of the most devastating occurrences that can happen to a home are flood or fire and in some cases both at the same time. There are tactics you can employ to lessen the odds of a flood or fire in your home. With that said, none these strategies are foolproof. Understanding that a flood or fire are not wholly avoidable, there are some steps you can take to prepare for the possibility of one of these catastrophes.
Maintain Proper Insurance
If you are like the vast majority of homeowners you do have basic homeowners insurance coverage for your residence. If you are like many people, you may not have enough coverage under your homeowners insurance policy in the event of a major fire. There are a number of key reasons why this may be the case.
First, you may have taken out a homeowners policy some years ago and have not updated coverage limits since that time. Second, most homeowners insurance policies require a specific itemization of costly electronics and valuable jewelry. If you are deficient on either of these counts, your homeowners coverage is likely inadequate. A vital step you need to take to prepare for a possible flood or fire at your residence is to revisit your homeowners insurance. You need to make sure policy limits and extent of coverage are suitable to meet your needs.
Another insurance-related matter you need to address is that associated with flood insurance. A considerable segment of the population incorrectly assumes that flood damage is covered by their homeowners insurance policy. As a general rule, this is not the case. You need to have a separate flood insurance policy. In anticipation of a possible flooding you need to make certain that you in fact have appropriate insurance to cover losses associated with this type of event.
Identify a Restoration Specialist
In the aftermath of a flood or fire time is of the essence. The extent of damage can be reduced significantly in many cases when a restoration specialist is promptly at the scene and ready to undertake work.
Only a small fraction of homeowners are prepared appropriately in this regard. These are homeowners who identify a reputable restoration service in their community that provides immediate emergency services.
A homeowner doesn’t want to be left surfing the net trying to find a suitable restoration professional in the aftermath of a flood or fire. Valuable time is wasted proceeding in that manner.
Proper preparation for a flood or fire dictates that a homeowner identify a restoration service and know how to make immediate contact with such a provider. Confirm the extent of services provided by a restoration professional. Some restoration specialists address flood remediation while others deal with the aftermath of fires. Still other restoration companies remediate both floods and fires.
Home Inspection and Evaluation
A stark reality is that many residential floods and fires are caused by something going awry in or at a residence. For example, flooding may occur in a home due to a plumbing issue as opposed to a storm. A fire may occur in a home because of faulty wiring or some other mechanical breakdown.
Another strategy that needs to be employed to prepare for a flood or fire, and to aid in preventing these types of occurrences in the first instance, is to obtain a professional inspection and evaluation of the residence. Inspections can help identify something that may be in a dangerous condition at a residence.
An inspection and evaluation provides other benefits that aid in the preparation for a potential flood or fire. An inspection and evaluation can ensure that you have proper emergency evacuation exists in your home.
First Aid and Life Saving Training
As part of preparing for a flood or fire, a homeowner will want to consider seriously obtaining first aid training from an organization like the American Red Cross. People easily can end up injured, even severely so, in the event of a flood or fire. A homeowner that has appropriate first aid training is in the best position to protect residents in the event of a life-threatening event like a floor or fire.
In the final analysis, by taking a comprehensive approach to preparing for a flood or fire a homeowner is able to lessen the extent of damage associated with such an event. In addition, a person is placed into a position of being able to protect the health and welfare of residents in a home when a flood or fire occurs.
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Jessica Kane writes for Advance Online, a leading provider of web-based OSHA. DOT. and HAZWOPER training.
Kimberly J. Howard, CFP® Blog 