Category Archives: Hurricane Karl

Texas Hurricane Preparedness Week Scheduled for May 22-28, 2011

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Every year the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service, Emergency Management Coordinators and officials within the local jurisdictions join forces to recognize Hurricane Preparedness Week.

According to the Old River-Winfree Community News Blog, this year’s events are set to take place from May 22 through May 28, 2011.

The week acts as an incredible opportunity to build public awareness and reminds residents living in evacuation zones to learn their evacuation routes in advance, before a storm strikes. Being fully prepared for hurricane season is especially critical for coastal Texans—since damages are still being taken care of from previous storms like Hurricane Ike—acting as a unfortunate reminder of how powerful these seasonal storms can get.

Hurricane Preparedness Week is also meant to encourage the general public to double check and re-stock their emergency supply kits. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, emergency preparedness supplies should include:

  • First Aid Kit; including prescription medications, eyeglasses, copies of prescriptions, hearing aids, batteries, other special medical items
  • Important documents and records, photo IDs, proof of residence, information to process insurance claims
  • Credit cards and cash (in the event that the power is out, banks & ATMs may not be available)
  • Battery-operated radio, NOAA Weather Radio and extra batteries
  • Road maps, travel plans
  • 3-day supply of non-perishable food, one gallon of bottled water per person per day
  • Manual can opener, knife, tools, fire extinguisher, flashlight, duct tape, tools, etc.
  • Extra keys
  • Blankets, pillows, extra clothing, etc.
  • Toilet paper, personal hygiene products
  • And more…

Hurricane Preparedness Week is a wonderful resource for all Texans who may have questions about how they can best prepare for hurricane season and the potential for devastating storms. If you have further questions about how you can protect yourself, your property and inevitable help safeguard your future, please do not hesitate to contact Dagley Insurance & Financial Services; we’d be happy to help!

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Hurricanes Cause Flooding, But What Else Can?

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Everyone knows that it’s hurricane season in Texas right now, and with hurricanes comes flooding.  But did you know that floods can happen at any time of the year?

Because many different factors can trigger floods, it’s a year-round risk.  Here are some of the most common causes:

Spring Thaw
Spring flooding can occur when the winter weather begins to warm up and melt the previously-frozen ground, where water would collect but not seep into the ground.  Each cubic foot of compacted snow contains gallons of water, so when the weather starts to melt the ground, bodies of water such as lakes and rivers can overflow easily, resulting in flood damage.

Tropical Storms and Hurricanes
Hurricanes cause massive rainfall which turn into floods hundreds of miles inland.  Hurricanes can also weaken and turn into tropical storms, creating heavy rainfall and floods that can be very dangerous since there was already flooding from the previous part of the hurricane.

Levees and Dams
The point of dams and levees is to prevent flooding; however, there is danger of flooding because of them, too. Levees and dams can deteriorate over time, can be overtopped, or can even completely fail during serious flooding, creating more damage than if the levee wasn’t even there.  If you live near a levee or dam – especially an old one – flood insurance is an absolute must.

Heavy Rains
It doesn’t have to be an all-out hurricane or big tropical storm to cause severe flood damage.  It can simply be a lot of rain.  Some of the worst flood damage to homes occurs when relentless, heavy rain continues for a couple of days.

Flash Floods
Did you know that flash floods are the #1 weather-related killer in the U.S.?  This is because flash floods can roll boulders, rip up trees, and destroy buildings and bridges. A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas in less than six hours, which is caused by intense rainfall from a storm.

New Development
Noise and roadblocks aren’t the only problems that come with construction – flooding can come along with it, too. Development and construction can alter the natural drainage and cause brand new flood risks, since new buildings, parking lots, and roads mean less land to absorb excess precipitation from rain and storms.

Flood damage is never fun and can cause many problems, but at least you can prepare for it.  At Dagley Insurance, we offer standard flood coverage and preferred risk flood coverage to meet your specific needs.  Why not visit our site to get a free flood insurance quote today?  We’ll be happy to help!

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We’re Safe From Karl, But Still Must Be Prepared

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It seems we’re out of the woods with Hurricane Karl, but is your home prepared for the remainder of hurricane season, which runs through November?  According to AccuWeather, the 2010 hurricane season could be a Top 10 year for storms.

Here are a few tips on how you can protect your home from ravaging hurricanes and the damage they can cause.

  • Give special attention to your garage door. Lots of people envision their roof being torn off during a hurricane and give the special attention to it. However, the actual vulnerable spot is the garage door.  Why?  Because they aren’t reinforced, and once the hurricane winds get inside the garage, they create a “positive” push at the same time that the wind above your house creates a “negative” pull.  This push and pull is what will cause the roof to blow off.  Fortunately there are kits and tools that can be easily purchased to brace your garage door.
  • Check your trees. Making sure that “dead” branches are trimmed so they aren’t threats to your house.  Trees are one of the biggest causes of home insurance claims, either because broken branches land on your (or your neighbor’s) home or because they break off and blow into glass windows during a storm.
  • Keep inventory of your possessions updated. If you’re unfortunate enough to suffer hurricane damage to your home, you don’t want to go through the headache of trying to remember all the things you owned that may have gotten damaged.  Keeping an updated list, video, or photos of what you own will make the process of going through the insurance claim – and thereby getting back to normal – much easier and faster.  Just remember to keep the list, video, or photos of your possessions somewhere besides your house.
  • Make sure your roof is in check. Hurricane straps are good for making sure your roof is bolted down to the rest of your house.  Also be sure to inspect the tiles on your roof or shingles to ensure that they’re “strong” and will not be flying off during a storm and crashing into glass windows.  (Roofing cement will fix loose tiles.)  You should also make sure that any areas where wires enter your home are sealed, stopping the chance of water damage.
  • Batten down the doors and windows. Of course, if a window gets broken during a storm, your home will suffer wind and rain damage immediately.  However this can also increase pressure under the roof, causing potential for the roof to blow off.  While storm shutters are the most effective form of protecting your windows, boarding them up will help as well.  (Hint: masking tape does nothing.)  Doors should have multiple locking tools to keep them from flying open.  Dead bolts work the most effectively. Remember that all windows and doors need to be secured – not just the ones that are facing the wind.
  • Make sure your insurance is updated and accurate. It’s vital that you have the right amount of home insurance and that any “gaps” in coverage are taken care of.

For more information on home insurance, contact us at Dagley Insurance today!  We offer free quotes and will customize your home policy to fit your budget and lifestyle.

Stay tuned at facebook.com/dagelyinsurance for further news on Hurricane Karl.

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