How to Prepare Your Home For An Emergency
Earlier in May, parts of Connecticut experienced tornado conditions. As a result, many people were left without power and, in some cases, trapped in their homes by fallen trees. When a natural disaster is posed to strike, it’s important to have a plan of attack.
What can you and your family do ahead of time to prepare your home for a weather emergency?
Check Your Appliances
Do you know where the breakers are in your home? What if you need to turn off the water supply? Familiarize yourself with the location of all major appliances and know how to shut off utilities. If you know dangerous weather conditions are on the way, strap down large appliances like the water heater, which could pose a flood risk.
Gather Emergency Supplies
In the event of power loss or being unable to leave your home, you should have some disaster supplies on-hand. This includes, but is not limited to the following items:
- Gallon jugs of water
- Non-perishable foods
- Stocked First Aid kit
- Batteries and charging cables
- Flashlights
- Candles and matches
- Blankets
- Pet supplies
In case you get stranded away from home, keep an extra kit of these items in your vehicle.
Stay Informed
If you do not have the phone numbers of the police department, fire stations and other emergency responders in your town, store them in your cell phone and keep the phone’s battery charged at all times. In the case of a serious injury, know the most direct route to a nearby hospital or walk-in clinic and share the directions with all occupants who can drive.
Keep your neighbors, friends and family informed too. Especially if they live out of town, your loved ones should have local phone numbers and addresses; sharing this information could be the difference in your family getting help or not. You should also obtain these resources from friends and family in other towns, in the event an emergency situation arises away from your home.
We all want our air conditioning, heat and plumbing to work at all times, but this can be especially critical in an emergency situation. To have your HVAC equipment and plumbing inspected, request service from M.J. Fahy & Sons today!
