In case you haven’t heard about the FIVE disturbances throughout The Atlantic and The Gulf, mid-September is officially the peak of hurricane season. What does that mean for us? Well, we are halfway done with the 2020 hurricane season. Hooray! Unfortunately, we can’t celebrate too fast as there’s another two more months to go. In seasons’ past, we have seen some named storms on Halloween, Thanksgiving and even in December. Hopefully, this season will come and go, as scheduled.
From now to November, we will definitely see more named storms blowing in our direction. This season brought us some close calls with tropical storm Cristobal, Hurricane Isaias in the southeast, and most recently Hurricane Laura. We are currently watching Hurricane Sally and expecting a lot of rain to hit The Panhandle and the west coast of Florida. We are hoping that the winds do not cause too much devastation. With so much happening so fast in a two-month period, it is beneficial to remain prepared in case something big comes in. Hurricanes that are classified as category 3 and higher are no joke.(take out) The destruction they cause can be horrific. To mitigate some damage or prevent it entirely, here are a few things that we recommend if a storm is heading your way:
Find out if you are in an Evacuation Zone.
Knowing if you are in an evacuation zone can help you when things get rough. It would be wise to evacuate if a major storm is headed our way. If you have friends or family in another state, keep contact and let them know if it’s time to go. Hurricanes are erratic and their strength can intensify as quickly as overnight. This was the case for recent hurricanes Laura and Michael.
Florida’s Division of Emergency Management has a great resource called Know Your Zone which will help you identify if you are in an evacuation zone.
Prepare your home
If you decide not to evacuate, make sure your home is in order. Cleaning up the property, tying down loose decorations or furniture, and installing shutters will greatly reduce any damage if a major storm blows into town. Spending a few hours a day preparing before a storm’s landfall will greatly reduce your chances of catastrophic damage.
Check out our Hurricane Handbook
We developed and released the 2020 Harris Hurricane Handbook earlier this year with tons of information that will help you. From how a storm takes its shape to it’s exit through your area, our handbook will keep you organized. Our guide aims to be your go-to resource in time of need. It’s FREE and totally worth the download. We recommend that you print a copy or two as well.
Stay safe this Hurricane Season. As always, please let our licensed Agents know how we can assist you with your Florida insurance needs. Call us at 850.244.2111 or email at service@harrisinsurance.com.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
Views expressed here do not constitute legal advice. The information contained herein is for general guidance of matter only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. Discussion of insurance policy language is descriptive only. Every policy has different policy language. Coverage afforded under any insurance policy issued is subject to individual policy terms and conditions. Please refer to your policy for the actual language.
