Inside Insurance: Be prepared when disaster strikes

Posted: February 10, 2008 - 11:30pm

The deadly tornadoes that swept across the South last week clearly caught many people off guard since this is mid-winter. Even those who paid close attention to radio and TV and knew there was a high chance of very bad weather were, in many cases, blasted by the killer tornadoes.

A woman interviewed on TV talked about the really great home evacuation plan she and her family had just created. Of course, the plan was developed after their home was destroyed by a tornado.

I talked to a home-based-business owner who lost not only the home, but also the two family cars in the garage.

It was sad that so much in the home for both personal and business use was destroyed. Since he didn't have a home inventory, the family had no proof of all its losses.

Ironically, it was Severe Weather Awareness Week across Georgia when at least 55 people died from the killer tornadoes in the Southeast.

What made me just shake my head was the college student who told a reporter she and her friends heard the tornado sirens "but didn't think too much of it" until someone saw the tornado coming that destroyed her dormitory. She was very lucky.

The thing is, there were tornado watches and warnings, and no one had a weather alert radio or even commercial radio or TV on at the time to get their attention.

These are stories that we hear over and over. Another disaster hits, people die or are seriously injured, homes, buildings, schools, churches and commercial facilities are torn to shreds, and all people can talk about is what they didn't have and how thankful they are to be alive, or how devastated they are that "everything was lost."

Although you can't keep the storms away, there are things you can do to keep you and your loved ones safe and to replace as much of your property as can be replaced:

Keep a weather alert radio on at all times (they have a silent mode that only activates when there is a weather warning).

Change the batteries every six months in smoke detectors and weather radios so everything works properly.

Keep battery-powered and/or crank-powered flashlights easily accessible around the house.

Keep a hand-crank radio handy so even if the power goes out you can stay informed.

Write and practice an evacuation plan for your family before something bad happens.

Create a home inventory and store the information in a safe place away from the home or apartment before disaster strikes. You can download for free a home inventory program at

While the recent tornadoes were called a freak winter storm system, spring is not far away, and that's the time for more frequent tornadoes, hail storms and high-wind events.

Just when we're done with spring, the summer hurricane season gets under way and the Gulf Coast states are again in harm's way for high winds, flooding, tornadoes and serious power outages.

David Colmans is executive director of Georgia Insurance Information Service. Contact him at 770-565-3806 or

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