SOUTHWEST FLORIDA — We know it can be a little difficult to prepare for something that may or may not happen, but we are less than a month away from hurricane season, and 4 In Your Corner wants to make sure you're prepared.
Let's start with insurance coverage. According to the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), the most appropriate insurance coverage for your needs depends on your type of dwelling and how often you live there throughout the year. For example, if you own a home, there are two available policy forms: homeowners and dwelling forms. The main difference between the two is that the homeowners form combines property coverage with liability coverage, while the dwelling form only covers property losses.
Also, a dwelling form is most likely used by those who don't live in their residence year-round. FLASH also has the basics on owning a manufactured home, condo, farm or if you rent a residence.
What is covered on your property? Well, there are four categories: dwelling, other structures (like fences and tool sheds), personal property and loss of use. It's important to know what these are when looking for which insurance policy is right for you.
All the details from FLASH on different insurance coverage advice can be found here.
Moving right along to another way you can make sure you're safe in the event of a hurricane: your smart phone. Make sure it's fully charged before a hurricane strikes. Also, make sure you have a portable charger should the power go out.
According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, with the right websites and apps, your phone can be a powerful safety tool for before, during and after a hurricane.
For example, the Fox 4 Storm Shield App uses your location to send different alerts based on where you are. This helps with avoiding false alarms by helping you know what to do because of where you are. There's also a live radar where you can track the storm before, during and after.
There's also the American Red Cross app. This can help get you through the storm with a hurricane tracker and safety information. It can also tell you what to do with your pets in an emergency.
The Federal Emergency Management app offers preparation tips, shelter maps and maps of disaster recovery centers.
The FL511 app provides a guide to road and bridge closures, toll suspensions and routes to take should you have to evacuate.
For a full list of different apps and websites that can help with hurricane preparedness, click here.
Lee County Emergency Management is also holding public safety seminars before hurricane season and during. For those details, click here.
