It’s difficult to avoid a natural disaster like a tornado but some advance preparation can help you to manage the crisis better. Purchasing Massachusetts home insurance can provide Massachusetts residents with protection from the cost of damage caused by a tornado, and the state’s emergency management experts recommend a number of practical strategies to help a family prepare for the threat of a tornado.
- Contact the Emergency Management Office in your area and ask about the location of public shelters.
- Identify a location in your home where you could shelter, and practice going there with your family. Underground places like storm cellars and basements are best but if no underground place is available identify a room on the lowest floor.
- Find out the locations of designated shelters in other buildings your family uses such as schools, shopping centers and public buildings.
- Purchase a NOAA weather radio to receive local weather broadcasts and a battery-operated commercial radio to receive news broadcasts.
- Prepare a disaster supply kit for your family.
- Prepare a home inventory detailing your possessions and store the inventory in a safe place.
It’s essential to prepare a disaster plan to guide your family through the steps to be taken to ensure personal safety and secure your home if a tornado threatens. The disaster plan should be in writing and should be communicated to your family and kept in an accessible place. Local emergency management authorities often have information available that will help you prepare your disaster plan.
Your disaster plan will help to protect your family, home and assets. Make sure that your plan includes emergency contact details for local authority departments, emergency management authorities, and your Massachusetts home insurance provider.