Hurricane Preparation Tips
-Make an emergency kit stocked with a weeks worth of non-perishable food and water, flashlights, batteries, a battery powered radio, medication (make sure you are well supplied with those you take on a regular basis), first aid kit, blankets, toiletries, etc. If you don't already have extra cell phone batteries, you may want to get some and make sure they are charged if a storm is coming incase you cannot charge your phone. Making a portable emergency kit to keep in your car is also important in case you need to evacuate quickly.
-Develop a family emergency plan that includes the safest place to take shelter in your home, alternative meeting locations, ways to contact each other, and an out of town contact. Don't forget to also determine where you would go if you need to evacuate, and the hurricane evacuation route you would take to get there.
-Be proactive about protecting your home by making any small repairs needed to the roof, windows, down spouts, etc., and trim any trees or bushes that could cause damage in the case of high winds. You should also make sure that your homeowners insurance is adequate and keep in mind that flood insurance is not often covered under your homeowners policy.
-While you're protecting your home, protect your belongings too by updating your home inventory. You can do this quickly by walking through your home with a video camera or smartphone. However, you'll also want to keep a record of large purchases including the cost of the item, when you bought it, the model, and serial numbers.
-Don't forget to protect your pets too. The first thing you should do is update their ID tags if needed, and you could also consider permanent forms of identification such as microchipping or a recovery database. You may want to keep their needs in mind when preparing your emergency kit/plan too.
-As part of your evacuation plan, make sure to have cash on hand. Even if you plan on staying with friends, family, or have hotel reservations, ATMs, banks, and credit card machines may be down after a major hurricane. A family of four should aim to have about $500 on hand if an emergency weather situation is possible.
Should an emergency weather situation occur, don't forget that you can count on OnStar to for any assistance you may need. Learn more about OnStar Crisis Assist for hurricane season here, or stop by our dealership if you have any questions about how it works! Bob Steele Chevrolet is committed to providing our customers with a comfortable, family experience – we call it the Family Difference! We treat our customers and employees like family, and work to make everyone comfortable at our dealership located at 2800 W. King Street, Cocoa, FL 32926. Give us a call at (321) 632-6700, or visit us online at www.bobsteelechevy.com.
