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Entry bubble Hurricane Ike Survivors: Find Family & Friends

By: Joanne | September 16, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

Did you evacuate to get out of the path of Hurricane Ike? Do you need to find friends or family who were displaced by Ike? If you answered yes to either of these questions, read on.

There are websites you can register with to help you connect with your loved ones to let them know that you’re safe and well after the storm. I’m going to give you links to a few registries – if you were displaced by the storm or if you’re looking for someone, I suggest you visit them all.

  • FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, operates the National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System. 
  • The Red Cross operates the Safe and Well List. The Safe and Well List even lets you to post a message (from a list of standard messages) so you can give your loved ones a little more information. For those without internet access, call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) to register.
  • Next of Kin National Registry is a free tool for daily emergencies and national disasters. The system gives emergency response agencies the information they need to contact your loved ones if you’re ever missing, hurt badly or worse.
  • If you’re a tourist or other foreign national affected by a disaster in the U.S., contact your consulate.

And do remember that there are many ways that you can help the people impacted by Hurricane Ike by volunteering or donating. There are volunteer opportunities for kids, seniors, teens and groups and many reputable organizations you can support through donations to bring relief to hurricane survivors.

No matter what charity you chose to support, always be on the watch for identity theft and other scams and fraud schemes  that try to take advantage of your good will and desire to help those in need.

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: disaster   flood   hurricane   ike   joanne   locator   shelter   storm   survivor  

 

Entry bubble Hurricanes & National Emergency Preparedness

By: Jake | September 01, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

I really hope you are having a happy Labor Day Weekend!

Unfortunately, many of you are riding out Hurricane Gustav or preparing for Tropical Storm Hanna. You can track the storms and check out government emergency information at USA.gov and Ready.gov. If there is any information you need that you don't see, please let me know in the comments and I'll try to find it for you.Hurricane Cloud

Those of you not in the storms' paths should think about how you might prepare for emergencies in your hometown. President Bush declared September National Preparedness Month in order to create a culture of emergency preparedness in the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security's Ready Campaign sponsors the event and encourages all Americans to take four steps to prepare.

What have you already done to prepare for emergencies like the hurricane and other storms?

| View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: disaster   hurricane   hurricane_gustavo   jake   tropical_storm_gustavo   tropical_storm_hanna  

 

Entry bubble Be Prepared for Hurricanes

By: Joanne | July 15, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

hurricane cloudLast week I wanted to talk about the sun, but this week I’ve got rain on my mind. Get out your umbrellas folks, because it’s hurricane season again. The tropical storms and hurricanes are already churning away out there in the ocean and sooner or later they’re going to hit land. Most of us think that hurricanes aren’t a threat, but the good people of New Orleans know how truly devastating these storms can be. Even if you live well inland, you need to be prepared for severe weather, because bad weather can strike anywhere.

The dangers of a hurricane or tropical storm come in a number of forms: storm surge, high winds, tornadoes, and flooding. If the big one heads your way this summer, it's important for your family and business to have a plan that covers all of these hazards.

The steps are really pretty simple:

| View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: disaster   emergency   hurricane   joanne   severe   storm   weather  

 

Entry bubble Stormy Weather

By: Nancy | April 10, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

April showers may bring May flowers, but this year, they're bringing some pretty substantial storm damage with them, too.

Friends in Jackson, Mississippi told me that they've been without power for days and that their part of town looks worse than it did when Hurricane Katrina came through three years ago. Right now, the story's similar throughout Texas and Oklahoma.

car in rainRain, drought, tornadoes or other natural disasters—no matter where you live, extreme weather is almost inevitable. A little preparation though, can get you ready to endure those tough weather conditions.

One of the best ways to prepare for a disaster is to assemble a supply kit with the food, medications, tools and other things you use on a regular basis and special items that you might need in an emergency. When I first decided to put a kit together a couple years ago, it felt a little overwhelming to assemble it all at once. So I added a few items at a time to my weekly shopping list. As I put my groceries away each week, I dropped the emergency supplies into my box and it wasn't too long until I checked off all the items on the list and had a full box of supplies. About every six months, I rummage through the box and replace food and water before it expires so everything will be safe to eat or drink when I need it.

USA.gov's severe weather section features links to information to help you get ready for and to recover from specific weather events like hurricanes and floods; extreme heat and drought; tornadoes and earthquakes; fires and winter storms.

And for my friends in Jackson, I found a great section on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website about staying healthy and safe during power outages.

What's your story? Have you been through any extreme weather events?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: disaster   hurricane   nancy   rain   tornado   weather  

 

Entry bubble Prepare a Home Inventory – Now!

By: Sommer | January 04, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

Now is the perfect time to prepare a home inventory. It can help you when planning for replacement of furnishings and equipment, purchasing insurance, filing insurance claims, determining your net worth, planning your estate, and more.Living Room

If, like me, you’ve never created a home inventory it sounds like a pretty overwhelming task, doesn’t it? There’s good news – you’ll only have to do it once! In the future, you’ll just have to update your inventory when you purchase new and discard old possessions. If you’d rather hire someone to do an inventory for you, the National Association of Home Inventory Professionals can help you find a professional.

So, where to start?  You can take several different approaches to the inventory like going room-by-room, categorizing your possessions (electronics, furniture, appliances, etc.), newest to oldest, or most to least expensive.  Next, choose the method you’ll use to record all the information.  A simple notebook will suffice, or, you can download a worksheet, take photos, make a video, or even use a computer program.

Regardless of which method you choose, record information such as brand or manufacturer, date purchased, serial number, purchase price, and estimated replacement value.  You can also check with your insurance company to see what information they'll need about your property in the event you have to file a claim.  If you’re a receipt saver like me, now’s the time they’ll come in handy.

Record information about the following items:

  • furniture, carpets, and drapes
  • antiques, artwork and collectibles
  • appliances
  • clothing and other closet contents
  • computer equipment and electronics
  • musical instruments
  • sports equipment
  • garage, attic, and tool shed contents
  • toys, books, and CDs
  • silver and china
  • jewelry and any other valuable items

Once you’ve completed the inventory, keep it in a safe place like a safety deposit box or a fireproof box.  It's a good idea to make a couple copies of the inventory and keep them in different locations. 

Post your stories about how having a home inventory (or not having one) affected your life.  They’ll help light a fire under me (and maybe others) to get one done!

| Post a Comment | View Comments [10] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: disaster   emergency   home   insurance   inventory   property   sommer  

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