What to do if a Disaster Strikes at Your Home

A key focus of my blog is Home/Living Discussions. As a homeowner, you also want to think about what would happen should an emergency or disaster strike, in addition to decorating the house to your satisfaction. The following contributed post is entitled, What to do if a Disaster Strikes at Your Home.

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Your home is your greatest asset, so you likely do everything that you can to protect it. Unfortunately, there are times when no matter how hard we try, homes become damaged by circumstances outside our control, such as natural disasters.

While no one likes to think about the worst-case scenario of something disastrous happening to their home, it is a good idea to be prepared, so that if the worse does happen, you will be ready for it and know what to do.

Extreme weather is on the rise across the globe. Winters are becoming colder, and summers are getting hotter, and natural disasters such as floods are becoming increasingly common. Knowing what to do if any of these issues causes damage to your house can help you minimize the destruction and feel as prepared as possible.

Create an Emergency Kit

Having an emergency kit ready and waiting for whenever you need it is vital. You never know when a disaster could strike, so being prepared and equipped with all the items that you could need will help to take a lot of the immediate stress out of the situation when it first happens.

Following government advice on what you should in an emergency kit, will help you to ensure that you have not missed anything important from your pack.

Protect Your Home

Protecting your home as best as you can is a useful habit. Before disaster strikes, making some changes to your property will help to minimize the extent of the damage that could occur. Making sure that your roof is well-maintained and watertight will ensure it fares better during a storm. Testing your smoke alarms will reassure you that they are in working order and will alert the family if a fire was to start. Simple steps such as these are easy to fit into everyday life and could make a significant difference if the worse was to happen.

Call for Assistance

If a disaster does strike at your home, the priority is to ensure that everyone is safe and escapes from harm. Calling the emergency services is vital if the damage is extensive or not under control.

Getting to a safe place is the most crucial thing to do, so figuring out in advance, where you would head if something did happen is essential.

Professional Help

If your home is hit by disaster, then it is essential to remember that you are not on your own. Firstly, it is vital to inform your insurance company about the incident to begin making an insurance claim, if appropriate.

One of the hardest things to deal with when your home is damaged is the loss of your possessions. However, you may be able to salvage your belongings with the help of a service such as PACKOUTZ that specializes in restoring items that have been damaged during a disaster. Having at least some of your possessions back with you where they belong, can be a great comfort at this difficult time.

Author: anwaryusef

Anwar Y. Dunbar is a Regulatory Scientist. Being a naturally curious person, he is also a student of all things. He earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan and his Bachelor’s Degree in General Biology from Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU). Prior to starting the Big Words Blog Site, Anwar published and contributed to numerous research articles in competitive scientific journals reporting on his research from graduate school and postdoctoral years. After falling in love with writing, he contributed to the now defunct Examiner.com, and the Edvocate where he regularly wrote about: Education-related stories/topics, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Financial Literacy; as well as conducted interviews with notable individuals such as actor and author Hill Harper. Having many influences, one of his most notable heroes is author, intellectual and speaker, Malcolm Gladwell, author of books including Outliers and David and Goliath. Anwar has his hands in many, many activities. In addition to writing, Anwar actively mentors youth, works to spread awareness of STEM careers, serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the David M. Brown Arlington Planetarium, serves as Treasurer for the JCSU Washington, DC Alumni Chapter, and is active in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church. He also tutors in the subjects of biology, chemistry and physics. Along with his multi-talented older brother Amahl Dunbar (designer of the Big Words logos, inventor and a plethora of other things), Anwar is a “Fanboy” and really enjoys Science-Fiction and Superhero movies including but not restricted to Captain America Civil War, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Prometheus. He is a proud native of Buffalo, NY.

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