What Items To Safeguard When Preparing For Hurricane Season
It is now the peak of hurricane season in Florida and home and business owners are preparing for the barrage of storms that could hit. Taking steps to protect your property may involve filling and positioning sandbags, boarding up windows, and more. However, it is also important that you protect certain items that you will need once the storm has passed and it is time to file an insurance claim. Below, our Daytona Beach hurricane insurance claims lawyer explains what these are.
Important Items to Protect Before a Hurricane Hits
There are many items, documents, and information that it is important to protect when preparing for hurricane season. It is also not always easy to remember all of these items when preparing for a storm. The most important items to keep safe are as follows:
- Any insurance policy relating to any damage to your property
- Birth certificates
- Proof of citizenship or lawful immigration status
- Marriage certificates
- Debit cards, credit cards, and PIN codes
- Passports
- Driver’s licenses and other proof of identification
- Passwords for all online accounts
- Keys for your home, vehicle, business, and other important items
- Health insurance cards
- Prescriptions and other necessary medications
- Contact information for family members, friends, and neighbors
How to Safeguard Important Items
Typically, it is best to keep important documents and other items in another location other than your own property. If your property becomes severely damaged, you may not have access to the most important items or, they may also become completely destroyed. A safety deposit box is a good way to make sure your most important possessions are protected. Just make sure the key is easily accessible in the event that you have to evacuate your property.
It is also important to consider that you may not even be able to access your safety deposit box. If your bank’s property was severely damaged, the institution may have to remain closed until the proper repairs can be done. Additionally, a serious storm can also cause power outages, sometimes for many days at a time. In these cases, your bank would also have to remain closed.
When possible, storing important documents electronically may be the best solution. You can scan important documents into a PDF format and file and storm them on a USB device or in the cloud. If you are saving documents on a USB device, you could also keep it with a trusted friend or family member who lives far away from where the storm hit. Lastly, simply storing everything in a plastic waterproof container can also make it easy to grab these important items before leaving during an emergency.
Our Hurricane Insurance Claims Lawyer in Daytona Beach Can Help After a Storm
If your property has been damaged by a hurricane, you need sound legal advice. At Bundza & Rodriguez, our Daytona Beach hurricane insurance claims lawyer can provide it and help you gather the appropriate documents so you obtain the full coverage you deserve. Call or text us now at 386-252-5170 or chat with us online to request a free consultation and to get more information.
Source:
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699/0624/Sections/0624.155.html
