Benefit the March of Dimes While Preparing for the Next Earthquake

The recent disasters around the world are just the most recent reminders we need to prepare for the next natural disaster.

Through an affiliates agreement with "More Prepared", 10% of your purchase of emergency, survival, and camping supplies will be donated to Farmers Insurance's favorite charity, The March of Dimes.  The MOD fights for the health of premature babies.


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April is Earthquake Preparedness Month: Is Your Kit Ready?

April is Earthquake preparedness month. Also seems like there's been a lot of earthquakes in the news these last few weeks. The Platinum Elite cares foremost about the safety of our neighbors.

Click here to learn more about Earthquake Insurance.

Click here for more info on disaster preparedness.

Buy emergency and disaster supplies and have 10% of your purchase benefit the March of Dimes.

Click on the re-print's title below to watch the Fox 5 San Diego news report.

Red Cross promotes low-cost earthquake kits

By Walter Morris Fox 5 San Diego Reporter

6:00 p.m. PDT, April 19, 2012

SAN DIEGO - April is Earthquake Preparedness Month and the American Red Cross is reminding everyone to stock up on emergency supplies incase the big one hits.

The cost of emergency kits can range from $45 to more than $600, but planning ahead is a good way to keep that number low.

"You probably already have half of the kit [supplies] that you need in your home," Cruz Ponce with the American Red Cross San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter said. "You just need to put them together and put it somewhere where you know they are at."
Many Southern Californians know what they need for a good emergency preparedness kit like plenty of water, nonperishable food, batteries and extra cash, but you don’t have to go out and get everything at the same time.

"Each time you go out to the supermarket buy an extra can of tuna and put that away as part of your kit," Ponce said. "Then the next time you go out to the hardware store, buy some extra flashlights or batteries. By the end of three to six months your whole kit is ready."

You don’t need a fancy new bag either - an old backpack or purse will do the trick.
It is also a good idea to have a hand crank AM/FM radio copies of your important paperwork, and a month’s supply of your medication.

If stocking on your medication is too expensive, writing down all of your specific prescription information is the next best thing.

"Instead of going out and buying a $600 kit right off the bat, you can spend that money gradually throughout time," Ponce said.

* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

Disaster Preparedness: Floods, Earthquakes, Fires

This week was Flood Safety Awareness Week.  March 12 to 16, 2012.  Here's a look back at last year's blog on flood safety, and general natural disaster preparedness.  Read below.


Here's our article on whether you really need flood insurance for your home.
Disaster responses from insurance companies.


Need help preparing your evacuation / disaster supply kit?  Click HERE.
Here's our blog on "Bug-Out-Bags" after the 2011 power black-out.



re-print from our blog in 2011:

Image of Flooded roads in Utah
National Geographic

The events surrounding the earthquakes in Japan followed by tsunamis remind us how quickly, and drastically, our lives in California can change in moments.

March 14-18th is Flood Safety Awareness Week. The information provided often applies to all the disasters California can face like earthquakes and wildfires, not just flood.

"Flood Safety Awareness Week, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), was created to highlight the causes and consequences of flooding and educate communities on how to prepare for and protect their homes and businesses from the devastating effects of flooding." Source: http://www.floodsmart.gov/

If you're asking yourself, "Why would I worry about flood? I don't live in a high risk area."

Floodsmart.gov reminds us that "Nearly 25% of flood insurance claims come from moderate-to-low risk areas."

"But San Diego?"

Construction and development can change the natural drainage and create brand new flood risks. That's because new buildings, parking lots, and roads mean less land to absorb excess precipitation from heavy rains.

Anywhere it rains, it can flood. A flood is a general condition where two or more acres of normally dry land or two or more properties are inundated by water or mudflow. Many conditions can result in a flood: hurricanes, broken levees, melting snow as we enter spring, outdated or clogged drainage systems and rapid accumulation of rainfall.

"Just because you haven't experienced a flood in the past, doesn't mean you won't in the future. Flood risk isn't just based on history, it's also based on a number of factors: rainfall, river-flow and tidal-surge data, topography, flood-control measures, and changes due to building and development."

Spring Cleaning, Spring Maintenance & Safety

Re-Print from Farmers Insurance

Happy Spring!

After a long winter for much of the country, warmer weather is a welcome  change. As winter slowly loses her grip, it’s time to think about getting your home ready for spring. Here is a checklist that may help you prepare your indoor and outdoor areas for the change of season:

• Indoor maintenance
• Furnace filter — A dirty filter can lower the efficiency of your home’s heating/cooling system so clean or replace as needed.
• Air conditioning — Test your system before you need it.
• Caulking — Check for leaks around all doors and windows.  Also check seals around bathroom fixtures to avoid water damage.
• Smoke and fire alarms — Clean, check batteries and test.
• Carbon Monoxide detector - Install if you don't have one yet, check batteries if you do.
• Carpets — Deep clean all carpets.
• Outdoor Maintenance
• Check/clean roof — Look for missing, cracked or broken tiles/shingles. For safety reasons, you may want to consider hiring a qualified professional to take care of any repair work. 
• Clean rain gutters - Dead leafs can dry and become a fire hazard.
• Check driveway and sidewalk — Seal cracks in driveway or any concrete.
• Check garden hoses and hose faucet — Look for dry rot and inspect hose faucets for possible freeze damage.
• Check/clean outdoor grills and tanks — Use soapy water to rinse all outside  grill surfaces and grill cleaner for grates and inside of grill. Check gas tank for rust and replace if necessary.
  

Farmers Insurance & Tornado Relief in Indiana & Ohio

Farmers Insurance Claims Teams Helping Tornado Victims in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, Mar 03, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Farmers Insurance claims personnel, agents, District Managers and employees throughout the tornado stricken areas of Indiana are helping victims of the tornadoes that struck last evening.


Farmers Indiana State Executive Director Tom Bower stated that Farmers' teams are in full operation helping customers throughout the stricken areas. "We want all of our customers to know that our goal is to give immediate assistance to all customers who have suffered damage from these storms," Bower said.


"We urge all residents in and around stricken areas to take extra precaution because of the downed trees and power lines," Bower said. "Please do not go out sightseeing or driving near areas with downed trees unless you know the lines are not active."


Bower advises that all customers who have suffered damage from the storms should call their agent or the 24-hour Farmers HelpPoint hotline number at:


1-800-HelpPoint (1-800-435-7764), for immediate assistance.


Foremost Insurance customers should file their claim by calling: 800-527-3907.

The March of Dimes & Farmers Insurance Partnership: Tornado Relief

With tornado season starting today, here's a look back at some of the good work Farmers Insurance, and its preferred charity, The March of Dimes, did last year.  That time it was Alabama.  We'll keep you updated on this years coming relief efforts.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those effected in Missouri, Illinois, and other Midwest states.


Excerpt from blog originally published on Why Platinum?


The March of Dimes and Farmers Insurance Partnership reaches far beyond the annual fundraisers, many of whom are going on over the next few months.  See blog of recent March for Babies Events.

The March of Dimes is working with Farmers Insurance in the disaster relief in the Southern United States in the wake of the tornadoes and storms these last few weeks.  Together they are providing maternity and infant supplies, as well as valuable information to some of the most vulnerable of the victims.

Press release from March of Dimes Facebook page:

The March of Dimes has mobilized its network of volunteers and sponsors to help pregnant women and families with infants cope with the aftermath of Alabama tornadoes, in coordination with Farmers Insurance.

On site at Home Depot in Tuscaloosa, AL, the Farmers Response Vehicle and March of Dimes Mom & Baby Mobile Health Center are distributing maternity clothes, diapers, wipes and other essentials for pregnant women and infants donated to the March of Dimes specifically for emergency assistance to all residents.

“The resources we have been able to gather to take care of some of the most vulnerable in our community are the little bit of silver lining in the cloud of this terrible situation,” says Jane Massey, March of Dimes executive vice-president and chief operating officer. “Their needs have brought out the best in people who have responded generously and I want to thank Kmart for their contributions of maternity and infant supplies.”

The March of Dimes has brochures addressed specifically to help pregnant women and anyone caring for a newborn during an emergency. The March of Dimes Web site www.marchofdimes.com also has timely and relevant information about food, water, breastfeeding and infant formula, and stress. Farmers Insurance is generously helping to distribute these brochures to families in need.

The brochures and Web site also list the symptoms of both preterm and normal labor. Stress, a risk factor for preterm labor, is increased during an emergency. It’s vital that all pregnant women in affected areas in Alabama know to seek medical care immediately if they have any of the symptoms of labor.

If you would like to help in the efforts to support pregnant women and families with infants in Alabama, please contact the March of Dimes Alabama chapter.

Soles 4 Souls: Shoe Donation Program

"Hey Everyone,

 

The deli at my building (Eat Your Heart Out) is collecting shoes for this amazing charity, (see below), and if you have any shoes you'd like to donate, drop them off there  (3675 Ruffin Road, #130, San Diego, 92123) and they'll get them delivered." ~ Susanne Romo, Farmers Insurance.

Soles4Souls collects new shoes to give relief to the victims of abject suffering and collects used shoes to support micro-business efforts to eradicate poverty.

Soles4Souls’ other two divisions, Clothes4Souls and Hope4Souls, provide the same relief and support through clothing and other necessities.

Our History

Soles4Souls has a simple concept: we procure shoes and get them to those in need.

In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami that hit Southeast Asia, Wayne Elsey, the Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls® Inc., felt compelled to do something. Like many of us, he did not know what to do. He was at home one night, watching TV and he saw a picture of a single shoe washing up on the beach. That triggered a few calls to some other executives in the footwear industry and the subsequent donation of a quarter of a million shoes to victims in the devastated countries.

A few months later when Katrina hit, Wayne called the same group of friends, and through our continued support, we have sent over a million pairs of shoes down to the gulf coast communities affected by the hurricane. In all honesty, he admits that he did not expect such an immediate and successful turnout. This left him wondering, why not start a non-profit and do this all the time? One year later, Soles4Souls was formally created.

Click to read more...

Thank You.


Originally published on The Susanne Romo Agency.



* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.