Did you know that this week May 27th – June 2nd is Hurricane preparedness week? At Downey Insurance we think it is right on time because June 1st is the start of this year’s hurricane season that runs thought the summer and fall ends November 30th 2012. After weathering Tropical Storm Irene in VT and the flood that ensued (read our flood story here) we are doing our best to prepare for unexpected. For us that means making sure everyone has access to the right coverage for their needs including Flood Insurance.
Your Vermont Homeowners Insurance or Commercial Building Insurance will cover Hurricane related wind, hail, and rain damage (water or ice damage from the sky down) but, it will most likely exclude Flood damage (water damage caused by rising water from the ground up.) We can offer you a Flood Insurance Policy that will fill this gap in coverage and prevent a devastating loss to your home or business.
The Hartford has put together a very comprehensive Hurricane Preparedness Overview that includes a section on Emergency Preparedness Plan and Business Continuity Management. We recommend every business take the time and consideration to prepare for such an emergency. It helped us tremendously during our own disaster management crisis in 2011.
As a reminder, below is summary of the four storm conditions reported by the National Weather Service.
Hurricane Watch – Issued when a threat of hurricane conditions (tropical cyclone of winds of 74 mph or higher) is expected within 24 to 36 hours.
Hurricane Warning – Issued when hurricane conditions are expected for specific coastal area in 24 hours or less with expected landfall to cause threat to life and property.
Tropical Storm Watch – Issued when tropical storm conditions, include winds from 39 to 73 mph, pose a threat to specific coastal areas within 36 hours.
Tropical Storm Warning – Issued when tropical storm conditions, including winds from 39 to 73 mph, are expected in a specified coastal area within 24 hours or less.