Lessons Learned: Power Outage Gives Preview of Next Emergency

On September 8th, 2011, a large scale power outage cascaded from Arizona into much of Southern California, and even into parts of Mexico, and New Mexico.

Safety Kit for Emergencies 

For me, it lasted about 6 hours, for others in stretched into the next day.

Warnings of contaminated water in some parts.  Warning of power surges when everything comes back on line.  Warnings of food poisoning.  In the end, for most it was an inconvenience and an even slower commute on the way home.

Judging by the long line outside the supermarket down the street from my house, I'm guess most weren't prepared though, or at least they assumed much worse.

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.


Click this banner link:

Disaster Preparedness Videos Subtitled for the Hearing Impaired

Reprint from MarketWatch:

Farmers Insurance Produces Series of Subtitled Catastrophe Preparedness Videos for the Public

Videos are designed for hearing impaired. 

LOS ANGELES, May 25, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Today, it is not if, but when, a major tornado, hurricane, fire, or ice storm can strike leaving you totally devastated if you aren't prepared. The question is, not if, but when a disaster strikes, will you and your family be ready to respond? 

Farmers Insurance, in an ongoing effort to provide the latest and most helpful information on preparing for disasters, offers a new series of subtitled videos that can be viewed and used as important components in disaster preparation.

"The videos can be found at http://www.farmers.com/cat_videos_eng.html notes Paul Quinn, Assistant Vice President, Claims. "The videos, all with subtitles for the hearing impaired, are filled with excellent tips on how to prepare for a disaster. The series begins with general information about disasters and what a family needs to do to prepare. Then, there are four specific disaster preparedness videos dealing with hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and ice storms. They are featured separately for maximum benefit. We urge everyone to go on the site and check these videos out."

The idea for subtitles came from Beth Fields, a Farmers agency producer in Fishers, Indiana. "She also teaches at the Indiana School for the Deaf in Indianapolis and suggested we subtitle all of our catastrophe preparedness videos for the hearing impaired," Quinn said.

Farmers Insurance Group of Companies is a leading U.S. insurer of automobiles, homes and small businesses and also provides a wide range of other insurance and financial services products. Farmers Insurance is proud to serve more than 10 million households with more than 20 million individual policies across all 50 states through the efforts of over 50,000 exclusive and independent agents and nearly 24,000 employees.

* 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.

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."

Phone Numbers You Should Store In Your Cell Phones for Emergencies

In times of emergencies you may not remember all the important phone numbers you need, or might not be capable to dial them yourself.

Take a few minutes now to program those numbers into your cell phone.

With the invention of cell phones it seems people are less likely to memorize phone numbers than before.  In a panic situation, you don't want to have to start searching for those numbers.


# 1 -  Add ICE  (In Case of Emergencies) numbers.  If you're in the ER after a car accident, who are the 2 or 3 people you would want the nurse to call first to notify ASAP?

Farmers Insurance Disaster Response Vehicles

Have those people as a regular entry by their name, but also as second entry such as  ICE 1, ICE 2, and ICE 3.  (Example:  "ICE 2   Mom")


# 2 -  Your auto insurance company's claims number.  If you get into an accident on the weekend, you don't want to have to try to track down your agent who's out of the office.  Program the direct claims number into your cell phone.  You should be able to find it on your most recent bill, on the Evidence of Insurance which should be in your glove box, or online.


FYI:  Farmers Insurance Claims Number:  1-800-Help Point or  1-800-435-7764


# 3 -  Poison Control for your area...especially if you have children.  Click HERE for our "Poison Control: Pills vs. Candy" blog article.


FYI: California Poison Control -  1-800-222-1222


# 4 -  Your children's Pediatrician's Office for when those questions come up, or your child is in need away from home.

# 5 -  Your local Pet Emergency room.  Has your pet ever gotten injured, swallowed something, or got that pesky burr in their ear on a holiday or weekend?  Their regular vet probably isn't available.  Have a back up number handy.


# 6 -  The number of your local police when 911 isn't necessary but you need to contact them for an non-emergency.

American Red Cross: Workplace Disaster Preparedness Lunch & Learn

Like so many of you, when the "Big" Power Outage of 2011 occurred I was at work.  Luckily, the power was back on by the next day for everyone.  For most it was only an inconvenience getting home and a great story the next day.

But, what if the power outage had been the result of a sizable earthquake?  Many of us would have been stuck at work (3:30pm), and faced an even longer commute back home than what we faced that time.  Others might be stuck at work.

What if the freeways were closed down?  We've seen that happen in the past in Los Angeles and the Bay Area.  

On Thursday, September 29th, 2011, the American Red Cross office in San Diego is hosting a "Lunch and Learn".

"We will provide you information on how to prepare your workplace for emergencies, what to do during a disaster, and how to ensure business continuity." 

Consider sending someone in your office to make sure you're all prepared, and if not, what needs to be done.

RSVP to Wilma Llano at:

(858) 309-1435,

or e-mail: wilma.llano@sdarc.org

Red Cross Headquarters (Kearny Mesa)

3950 Calle Fortunada

San Diego, Ca  92123

You bring your lunch and they'll provide snacks, drinks, and education.

Click HERE for their Website and printable materials to deal with various emergencies:

Wildfires

Fire Prevention

Power Outages

Earthquakes

Heat Waves

Pets & Disaster Safety

& many more.

See you there!

Tragic Last Words: "It's Paid For, I Don't Need Insurance"

"I don't need insurance, it's not worth much."

"Can I drop my insurance?  I paid the loan off."

"It's paid for, why would I insure it?"

In my career I've heard a few statements like these.

The answer is simple. If it was lost, stolen, or destroyed in a disaster like a wildfire or earthquake, could you afford to replace it out-of-pocket?

Whether it's paid for, or you owe on it outright, it's going to be costly to replace if it disappears.  

Regardless your economic level, your cars, your home, you business, all make up a large part of your assets.  Loss of them hurts financially, and emotionally.  The financing situation is irrelevant in the end. 

No one likes paying for insurance, until they have to make a claim.  Then it seems cheap in comparison.

Recently one of those random fires we're used to in Southern California started.  We usually identify them by which freeway it's closest to. We're a car culture so freeway closures are big. This one started off the 15 Freeway.

A man buys a ranch (and about 100 livestock) to be his retirement home and source of retirement income. It's paid for so it should be a great source of security and income the rest of his life.  

Then one hot (and probably windy) day a fire starts, the area's evacuated, and by the time he's allowed back in, it's all gone.   The ranch.  Most of the livestock.

Farmers Insurance: New Reality TV Star?

Weathering Disaster: Weather Channel Series To Profile Farmers Catastrophe Response

OK, maybe we won't be the next Kardashians or even the next "Pawn Stars", but the new series will definitely be entertaining and educational.  Using the drama of real life, viewers will learn how to be better prepared if a natural disaster strikes their hometown, and be assured that if it does, there will be someone there to help with the recover.

We all know that when natural disasters strike, no one in the industry responds as well as Farmers. An upcoming six-episode series on The Weather Channel will focus on Farmers’ catastrophe buses, as well as our responses to tornadoes, firestorms and hurricanes.


Click HERE for some trailers of the series. 

The series, Weathering Disaster, will focus on individual families affected by disasters, and show how Farmers helps them through the rebuilding process.

What’s more, numerous Farmers agents and claims team members were filmed as they helped customers through the recovery process. “One of our goals in partnering with The Weather Channel on this series was to showcase the real-life heroic efforts of the Farmers agents and catastrophe response employees who help our customers through the recovery process,” says Kristina Ferrin, advertising manager. 

“The Weather Channel is a perfect fit for Farmers, and, in addition to our original programs, we will also have various promotional elements and an advertising presence on The Weather Channel’s online and mobile sites.” Additional promotional components include a Weathering Disaster web page where visitors can view the episodes after they air, as well as "promercials" and vignettes shown on the channel.

The shows will air repeatedly throughout late September and October, with initial airings of each on Saturdays from September 17-October 22. Check your local listings for air times in your area.

Lessons From Hurricane Irene: What to Expect in the Future

Hurricane Irene (2011): evacuations precede landfall

While hurricanes give more of a warning before they strike than the wildfires and earthquakes we face here in California, there are still lessons for those not involved to learn.

How will your insurance company react the "next time"? How quickly will they respond? What services will they provide those in need?

Suddenly price is secondary to customer and claims service.

Wildfires in Northern Los Angeles County force evacuations.

Watching insurers prepare before Hurricane Irene will tell you what they will do post flood, fire, or earthquake.  The same claims teams and emergency response vehicles being readied now will arrive after future natural disasters.

Read the article below.

Here are some of our past disaster preparedness and safety blogs.  Please take time to read them and make some preparation. Your health and safety are our primary concern.

Maintain a defensible zone around your home 

Pet micro-chipping before disasters occur

Insurance Company Emergency Response Vehicles

Should I get Earthquake Insurance?

A look back at the Wildfires of 2007

The Tornadoes of 2011

The March of Dimes & Farmers Insurance unite in wake of the Alabama Tornadoes

Getting Ready for claims after accidents and disasters

Disaster Preparedness: Resources and Websites

Preparing for disasters when space and money is limited (includes Red Cross info)

Farmers Insurance claims #: 1 - 800 - Help Point


Excerpts from the InsuranceJournal.com


Insurance Industry Mobilizes for Hurricane Irene Claims

Farmers Insurance Customer Care Vehicle

In addition to advising their policyholders on what to do to protect against Hurricane Irene, property/casualty insurers and brokers are themselves taking precautions—and positioning their claims teams for the aftermath.

Most are publicizing their toll-free claims numbers and online sites for claims, while also making sure their claims people, mobile units and key systems are where they need to be and ready to go once the storm passes.

Some are using automatic call systems to alert policyholders about steps to take to reduce damage, while others are gassing up their mobile vehicles and activating their complex claims teams.

While a few insurers and brokers said they were just too busy to respond to questions about their preparations, Insurance Journal was able to find out what some in the industry are doing to deal with Irene.

The article continues...

Farmers

Farmers Insurance Group— whose subsidiaries include Foremost Insurance, Bristol West and 21st Century Insurance —has mobile catastrophe claims buses that are 46 feet long and are equipped with state-of-the art satellite communications equipment; seven claims stations; water, supplies; laptop and telephone capability for use by its customers and public; and a built in grill to serve meals to Farmers’ customers and others in need.

“We will strategically position claims adjusters and Farmers mobile catastrophe units near where the hurricane makes landfall,” said Paul Quinn, assistant vice president of claims communications for Farmers Insurance.

Farmers Insurance setting up at QualComm Stadium after
the wildfires of 2007

The company also has smaller claims vehicles ready to assist with claims and supply needs of customers and others in need.

The article concludes...

Reporting

Meteorological service firm AnythingWeather Communications Inc. provides customizable reports on the effects of hail, wind and flood events for roofing companies, building suppliers, insurance companies, public adjustors and other industries. It is already busy collecting storm data.

“Our clients demand data quickly so we have a team of 15 people on staff gathering data including four meteorologists analyzing the storm. The claims firms depend on us for data,” said Bill Combes, operations vice president for the firm, which has offices in California and Texas.

Also one of the industry’s key media centers, the Insurance Information Institute, based in New York, is making its team of experts available to journalists all weekend from their homes in Manhattan, Miami, Atlanta, Tampa, New Jersey, even Long Island.

end of article


* 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.

Earthquake Insurance: The Big Misconception

Excerpt from Why Platinum?

More than 85% of Californian homeowners and renters do not have earthquake insurance coverage. When the "Big One" hits, entire neighborhoods will be left damaged for long periods of time.

One reason people don't buy Earthquake Insurance is do to a "Great Misconception" that is reinforced by media and various financial writers who should know better.  When pointed out, corrections are usually put on the last page of the newspaper.

Have you ever heard this statement or thought this to yourself?

"The deductible is so high, why would I buy it?  I can't afford to pay that much!"

Not true.  The deductible does not have to be paid out-of- pocket before the policy begins paying.  It's just the amount of damage that must be exceeded before the policy begins paying.

Isn't 85% coverage better than the 0% most people have in place right now?

Let's start at the beginning.  A lot of the major insurers, including Farmers, use the CEA; the California Earthquake Authority since they were unsure about individually underwriting such a large potential loss on their own.  In example: $12.5 Billion in damages from the 1994 earthquake alone.  

"The California Earthquake Authority is a publicly managed, largely privately funded organization that provides catastrophic residential earthquake insurance and encourages Californians to reduce their risk of earthquake loss."

The CEA plan is a high deductible plan designed to get you back into your home safely.  It's not designed to cover extras like artwork and swimming pools.  By making it a high deductible plan, it's affordable enough to hopefully get more insureds under the plan.  

Example:  A homeowner buys a CEA policy with dwelling coverage of $350,000.  They choose the 10% deductible plan.

Disaster Preparedness When Space And Money Is Limited

I came across this article, and while some of it might seem extreme (with a little of humor thrown in), take a few points from the article and get better prepared for when that next emergency hits.  Don't let the lack of space in your apartment or condo keep you from getting ready.

Survive a Disaster -- in your Condo

by Donna Freedman, MSN Money

The great blizzard of 2011 closed highways, collapsed roofs and knocked out power to two-thirds of the country last February. Wonder how many people wound up fumbling for flashlight batteries and dining on dry cornflakes?

Object lesson: You need to be ready. If a natural disaster or even just a really big windstorm happened, how would you eat, drink and stay warm? And where would you go to the bathroom?

"It's just common sense to have something set aside for when you need it," says Bernie Carr, the author of "The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster."

Maybe the word "prepper" conjures up images of camo-clad guys waiting out Armageddon in rural bunkers, surrounded by ammunition and MREs. Certainly, some prepper sites toss around acronyms like BOBs ("bug-out bags") and TEOTWAWKI ("the end of the world as we know it"), and emphasize survival skills and marksmanship.

But not everyone who preps is hard-core or imagines the collapse of society -- or even lives in the country. About 60% of the visitors to Carr's website, The Apartment Prepper's Blog, live in cities or suburbs. Carr lives in Houston.

Robert Richardson, who blogs at Off-Grid Survival, says the majority of his readers are city or suburban residents, worried more about inflation than the doomsday predictions for December 2012.

"It doesn't have to be an end-of-the-world scenario. I'm talking to people who are prepping for things like job loss," says Richardson.

Preparedness isn't paranoid -- it's prudent. Just ask Uncle Sam: The Department of Homeland Security recommends having enough supplies to survive for at least three days after an emergency. And right now, while there isn't an emergency, is the time to get those supplies.

The list might seem daunting if you're living in a tight space on a tight budget. Chin up: You probably already have some of those items, and you can use frugal hacks to get the rest cheaply or maybe even for free. Here's how.

Easy does it

The American Red Cross has an even longer list of suggested emergency items. Because every family (and every disaster) is different, however, pick what works for you. You don't have to get it all at once.

Click here for the rest of the article.

The Red Cross sells ready made Emergency Kits of different sizes (and supplies) if you don't want to build your own.

Other Disaster related blogs I've written:

Maintain a defensible zone around your home 

Pet micro-chipping before disasters occur

Insurance Company Emergency Response Vehicles

Should I get Earthquake Insurance?

A look back at the Wildfires of 2007

Disaster Preparedness: Resources

* 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.