What to do when a storm threatens...

The following information is intended to help you use the final hours before the storm most efficiently, highlighting things you can do now that are intended to help keep your family safe and minimize damage to your home.

Clear Drains & Gutters.

It’s not uncommon for leaves and other debris to cover exterior drains or obstruct gutters and downspouts. Clearing those areas now may eliminate or dramatically decrease water damage to your home.

Test your Generator.

Confirm that your generator is fueled up, or that its permanent fuel supply line is unobstructed. Many generators feature a regular “test mode” cycle; however, you can't always tell if the test has actually run. You can avoid surprises by starting the generator before a storm to ensure that it's working properly.

Move Your Outdoor Furniture and Other Important Objects.

Outdoor furniture and other belongings are not only susceptible to damage, but they have the potential to create damage to your home or your neighbor's, if propelled by hurricane force winds. Bring your furniture inside so as to protect it from the elements. Protect your home and property by securing other items like barbecue grills, garbage cans, fire pits, and any other freestanding, lightweight objects that can become projectiles in a windstorm.

Prepare Your Family For The Worst.

Here are a few things every family should consider, as well as some additional resources you might find helpful:

• Identify a meeting location. Pick a meeting location and communicate it to all family members in case you become separated during the storm.
• Stay up to date on local evacuation orders and instructions. Your local news stations and municipality websites are your best source for current information.
• Ensure all household vehicles have a full tank of fuel. If your water supply is influenced by power and you are concerned about an outage, fill your bath tubs and other vessels with clean water for drinking and sanitary purposes.
• Check your disaster kit. Make sure it has enough food, water, batteries, and other supplies to last your family at least three days. Click to read what a well-stocked kit should include.
• Have access to important documents, including your insurance policies. Be sure to keep your passport, important financial documents, and other information in a secure, dry place that you can access during and after the storm. Please remember that you can access your policy documents and other important insurance documents 24/7 through PURE's Member Portal. If you maintain a policy from the National Flood Insurance Plan (NFIP), be sure to take it with you in the event you and your family elect to evacuate.
• If you have pets, secure them either in a carrier or on a leash before the storm hits. You never know when you might be forced to evacuate. And even if that doesn’t happen, you don’t want to be tracking down a scared pet during the chaos.