Moving to a High-Risk Area? Here’s Your Planning Checklist
Moving to a high-risk area has so many benefits. You may spend less on a house. The weather may be beautiful when it’s not terrible. Or maybe you’re moving for work or to be close to family. Whatever the case, high-risk areas that have natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, wildfires, or tornados aren’t all bad. They might even be mostly good. But, you do want to be prepared to take action if and when a natural disaster strikes your new neighborhood.
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1. Make Sure You’re Covered
First, before you even move, you can make sure your new home is covered in case of a natural disaster. Some insurance policies won’t cover specific disasters without an increase in your premium. Some won’t cover them at all. This means that in the event your house is destroyed in a fire, floor, or some other act of God, you would lose everything and not get reimbursed financially. You don’t want that.
So, get on the phone and double-check. Call your homeowners insurance agent and ask about coverage for the disasters specific to your area. If you can’t get coverage, or the price is not reasonable, shop around! Make sure you’re comfortable with the amount of coverage you have. You should be able to rebuild your home and replace your possessions in the event everything is destroyed.
2. Consider Investing in a Generator
The next thing to consider, once you get moved in, is whether you need a generator. If you can’t afford a large enough generator to power your whole house, at least invest in one that will power your refrigerator, so your food doesn’t go bad if the power goes out. You can manage everything else until the power comes back on, with a little help from the other items listed below.
3. Get a Camping Stove
Without a generator, you won’t be able to run an electric stove. If you can get a gas stove, you won’t have to worry about this issue, but you will have to watch your gas lines in the event of a natural disaster. Your best bet will be to get a camping stove. It’s small, portable, and will run on a small canister of gas. You can cook all the meals you need until the power comes back on.
4. Look into a Wood-Burning Stove
If you’re moving to an area with cold winters, you’ll probably want a fireplace in your new home. If that’s not an option, you can look into setting up a wood-burning stove. They’re much easier to install than a new fireplace, and they’ll keep your house, or most of it, warm. You’ll definitely want that if you’re sheltering in place during a bad storm that knocks out your power.
5. Store Gasoline in a Safe Place
It’s a good idea to keep at least five gallons of gas in a gas can on your property at all times. It will come in handy in the event of a natural disaster that calls for you to leave home suddenly. Local gas stations might not be able to help you, or the lines may be too long to wait in as you’re trying to leave town. Having this extra gas on hand will be a relief. Just make sure to refresh the gas can every couple of months.
6. Have a Go Bag Ready
If you do have to leave your home during a natural disaster, chances are you’ll have to leave quickly. Wildfires, hurricanes, and tornadoes can happen quickly and cause irrevocable damage in a matter of minutes. If you’re told to go by local law enforcement, you need to go, so you need a “go bag.” Pack the items you’ll need to survive for a week or two, including clothing, medications, and hygiene supplies.
Make sure to include copies of important documents like passports, birth certificates, and insurance information, as these will be critical if you cannot return home immediately. Keep your go bag in an easy-to-access location so you can grab it quickly when needed.
7. Create an Emergency Plan With Your Family
Finally, natural disasters often strike quickly, leaving family members separated and disoriented. You can’t control the uncontrollable, but you can prepare for it. Make sure each member of your family knows where to go in case of an emergency. Have a meeting spot and a backup meeting spot, just in case the first is unreachable. Then, make sure everyone knows to wait there for everyone else.
Fortunately, even in a high-risk area, you may never have to deal with a serious emergency that has you sheltering in place without power or fleeing your home for days on end. In most cases, your home will be fine, and your power will be back on in a day or two. But it’s always good to have a plan in place just in case the unthinkable happens. In these situations, it is definitely better to be safe than sorry.
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