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Disaster Prep: Hurricane preparedness and action plan – for you and your family

June 15, 2020

In this installment of Disaster Prep, we focus on hurricane preparedness and actions to take to protect you and your family in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm.
Casualty|Personal Lines Insurance|Property Risk and Insurance Solutions
Disaster Response Center

When dealing with hurricanes or any threat, the bottom line is: be prepared. Both an emergency preparation and response strategy should be in place through which immediate, effective action can be taken, both at home and at work. When a tropical storm or hurricane watch is issued, follow local weather and news reports closely to determine the path of the storm and learn about any advisory or mandatory evacuation orders from public emergency management authorities. The chart below provides information on hurricane classifications to help you understand the magnitude of the risk:

Category Sustained winds Types of damage due to hurricane winds
1 74 - 95 mph Very dangerous winds will produce some damage
2 96 - 110 mph Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage
3 (major hurricane) 111 - 129 mph Devastating damage will occur
4 (major hurricane) 130 - 156 mph Catastrophic damage will occur
5 (major hurricane) 157 mph or higher Catastrophic damage will occur

Here are a few items to consider as you prepare your home in the event of a hurricane:

Planning

Discuss these questions with your family/friends/neighbors to start your emergency plan:

  • How will I receive emergency alerts and warnings?
  • What is my shelter plan?
  • What is my evacuation route?
  • If evacuating, where will I go?
  • How will I communicate with family/friends/neighbors on the contact list?

Click the link below to download more information on our hurricane response and action plan (for you and your family):

  • How to safeguard windows and doors
  • Evacuation tips
  • Creating your disaster supply kit
  • Power outages
  • Shutting off the gas
  • Pet safety
  • Working with neighbors and the community

How Willis Towers Watson can help

Willis Towers Watson has teams of highly qualified experts specializing in disciplines that provide solutions to issues that are critical to our clients. Our National Property Claims and Forensic Accounting & Complex Claims (FACC) practice include: certified public accountants, forensic accountants, property claim consultants, certified fraud examiners, project managers, FEMA experts, and engineering and construction consultants, with colleagues residing in multiple offices around the world.

The senior leaders of the National Property Claims and FACC teams have worked on some of the most challenging and complex insurance claims resulting from some of the world’s largest catastrophes and disasters, such as Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina, and the more recent Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. These teams have been successful in quantifying and recovering billions of dollars on behalf of clients.

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