Six simple steps towards being emergency prepared for the spring season

Spring means warmer temperatures and a return to outdoor activities. It also means roller-coaster and sometimes volatile weather that prompts us to be emergency prepared for the hazards the season brings.

Severe weather in the form of intense precipitation, thunderstorms, or tornadoes can produce flooding, high winds, hail, and lightning that causes damage to your home or business and impacts your health and bank account.

We compiled six simple steps to help you be ready for whatever the weather may bring.

1. Stay informed. Know how you'll receive emergency information. When hazardous weather is approaching or dangerous conditions are occurring, authorities like OEM, National Weather Service, or FEMA may issue emergency information that comes to your email, phone, TV, or radio through WEA, EAS, or ReadyPhiladelphia alerts. If severe weather is forecast, be aware of your surroundings and plan for where you'll take shelter.
2. Ensure you're insured. A flood insurance policy could protect you from the devastating out-of-pocket expenses caused by flooding. Don't wait until it's too late. A policy takes 30 days to go into effect from application and payment. A typical homeowner's insurance policy does not cover floods. Start by talking to your insurance agent to see what is covered in your policy. You can check your neighborhoods risk for flooding as well as flood insurance costs through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program.
3. Educate yourself about flooding. Know what types of flooding Philadelphia is at risk for, what to do if you experience flooding, how to prepare your property and your family for flooding, and understand your flood risks with the help of a guide designed by Philadelphia's Citywide Flood Risk Management Task Force.
4. Protect important financial documents and conduct a household inventory. Be sure to keep a record with photos and receipts, if possible, of all major household items and valuables. If your paper files and personal computer are lost or damaged in a fire, flood, or other emergency, your personal information, bank statements, and insurance records could be destroyed. Plan ahead to ensure that valuable documents are safe and accessible whenever you need them. Store copies of irreplaceable documents (such as birth certificates, passports, etc.) in a safe, dry place. Keep originals in a safe deposit box.
5. Build an emergency supply kit. Food, bottled water, first aid supplies, medicines, and a battery-operated radio should be ready to go when you are. See what to include on your disaster supply checklist.
6. Plan for evacuation. Plan and practice a flood evacuation route. Ask someone out of state to be your "family contact" in an emergency, and make sure everyone in your family knows the contact's address and phone number.