It seems like only yesterday that I woke up on the morning of September 10, 2017 to find myself with no power and a 100 foot tree lying across my front yard. I was extremely lucky. Although I had no electricity, internet, telephone or running water for a week, that tree missed everything in the yard: power lines, house, car, outside light pole, pump house, fence – everything! That tree couldn’t have fallen any more perfectly! I was blessed!
Here at the StoreRight Self Storage office in Brooksville, we were also very lucky. We had no electricity, phone or internet for a couple of days and were under an order to boil the drinking water but we really only had limbs and branches all over the grounds to clean up.
Many in this area were not so lucky. We had many new tenants who were in need of a safe place to store what was left of their belongings while they looked for a new place to live or waited for contractors to repair their homes.
Now, on a bright sunny afternoon is the perfect time to consider how well prepared you are for a disaster.
How is your insurance coverage? Do you need to upgrade your policy? Will your policy cover goods stored offsite if you need it?
Do you have space in a garage or shed if you need to store out door furniture or lawn equipment? Or do you know where there are self storage facilities in your area and which ones are the best?
Are there home maintenance projects or repairs that you have been putting off? Addressing them now could save you time and money later.
Look at supplies you have around your home. Batteries usually can be stored for quite a while and picking up a few here and there is a lot easier on the wallet than trying to buy a bunch all at once to say nothing of not having to deal with everyone in the area trying to stock up all at once. Check your supply of tape and flash lights and maybe a couple of sheets of plywood, maybe a tarp or two. These things can be relatively inexpensive if you pick up an item here and there rather than trying to buy them all at once to say nothing of having to fight dwindling inventories when everyone in the neighborhood is fighting for the same items. This will also leave you a little wiggle room in the budget for items that you can’t really stock up on (like ice, etc).
For more ideas and tips, check out your area’s Emergency Management division. Here in Hernando County (Florida) the Emergency Management Department will be having their Hurricane Expo 2018 on May 5th. You can get tips, see demonstrations and vendors. And since it’s being held at the Hernando County Fairgrounds, it it less than a mile from StoreRight Self Storage in Brooksville. Stop by, check out the facility, meet the staff and if you need a unit now, check out some of our amazing specials!
The bottom line is that when the weatherman says we are in the path of a hurricane, there will be stress. The more you prepare now, the less stress there will be then. Stay safe!
