When you think of the words natural disaster or weather emergency, you may be thinking of events like Hurricane Katrina or the California Wildfires. However, even common events like a winter storm or summer thunderstorms can cause severe damage in your neighborhood. In addition to creating emergency supply kits to always have on hand, there are other things you can do and should know to prepare yourself even if there is no current weather warning. If you’re fully prepared in advance of a weather emergency, you will most likely feel reduced stress and be level-headed.

If you’re familiar with Geneverse (formerly Generark), you know that as a company, we aim to be there for you and your family whenever disaster strikes. In order to keep you prepared for any emergency situation, here are five things you should know before facing a disaster.

1. Know Where Your Valve Shut-Offs Are

When a natural disaster strikes, it is important to know where all essential valves are in your home, like gas, water, and electricity. Not only can a gas leak become dangerous to breathe in if undetected, but it can also increase your chances of a house fire or cause explosions. If you see or presume damage to your water pipes, you’ll want to turn off your water immediately to avoid letting contaminated water into your home. Additionally, it will prevent any flooding from burst pipes. Even if the weather event hasn’t caused a power outage, you may need to turn off the home’s main circuit breaker to prevent sparks from causing a fire. 

If you end up turning your electrical power off, you can benefit from having a backup battery generator like the HomePower ONE, which can be used to power a wide array of home appliances and devices. After the natural disaster has ended, be sure that it is safe to turn these valves back on before doing so. Check visible electrical wires for damage and find out from local authorities if water has been known to be contaminated. Never turn the gas back on yourself, instead, leave that to trained professionals. 

2. Know Your Evacuation Routes

You should never assume that evacuation is not on the table when experiencing a natural disaster. Sometimes weather predictions can underestimate the scope of the damage, and you may need to leave in a hurry. Other times, something as usual as a fallen tree can cause unexpected damage and cause a needed evacuation. No matter what the weather report is, when preparing for a weather event you should be preparing for evacuation. 

Learn all routes ahead of time and practice them so you will not become overwhelmed in the moment. Know where the routes lead and plan where you will be staying accordingly. The route that you’d take to stay with a relative may be unusable, causing you to need to make other accommodations for your family. When you’re on the road, you can even power up your HomePower ONE emergency backup battery power station through any carport in the vehicle. Be prepared for any scenario that comes your way.

3. Know Your Insurance Coverage

When severe weather events are predicted, many people take steps to prepare their homes for the worst, like boarding up windows and putting away yard furniture. However, even the most prepared individuals can experience terrible damage to their homes and property. When the worst has passed and you need to assess the damage, you don’t want to experience even more stress by learning that the potential thousands of dollars in damage and repairs are coming out of your pocket instead of your insurer’s. 

Take the time now to go through your insurance plan and understand what is covered and what is not. If something is not covered, like flood damage, find out how prone your neighborhood is to that weather event and discuss with your provider if additional coverage is appropriate. 

4. Know How to Take Care of Your Pets

If there’s a tornado warning or a hurricane is raging outside your window, it would be extremely unsafe to take or let your dog out in those conditions. Odds are though, they’ll have to go to the bathroom at some point during the weather event. Have a plan ahead of time for what you will do with your pets during these hours. 

Set up a sanitary area that you can take your pets to relieve themselves indoors. If you may need to evacuate, be sure you can fit your pet in your car with the whole family and that any shelter or residence you will be fleeing to will allow you to enter and potentially stay the night with your pet. At no time should you consider leaving your pet outdoors or unattended at home during the disaster, as that can create dangerous conditions for rescue crews who will be sent in to find any survivors. 

5. Know How To Lend a Hand and Help

Whether your home was negatively impacted by the natural disaster or not, you may feel the need to lend a hand to others in the community. With the HomePower ONE portable power station and SolarPower ONE solar panel power station, you can set up charging stations in your community for neighbors to charge devices or power tools needed for clean up. 

You can also lend your time in helping others clean out their homes, donate money to organizations that provide relief, or donate extra supplies like blankets, clothing, or non-perishables and water that your family did not end up using. There is always a need that you can fulfill after a weather emergency. Here is a list of eight charities you can consider supporting after a disaster. 

Summary

When severe weather is reported, you should immediately take steps to protect your home and family. By preparing ahead of time, you will be able to know exactly what to do without the stress of the situation blocking your judgment. Knowing where all the important valves in your home are can help prevent dangerous damage to your home. Learning evacuation routes and understanding your insurance coverage can help prevent headaches moving forward from the event. Plan ahead of time what you will do to keep your pets comfortable during the weather emergency and possible evacuation. Finally, learn how you can help your community come back from the damage. Geneverse (formerly Generark)’s HomePower ONE and SolarPower ONE generators are always there to help your family and community through difficult times. 

About Geneverse: Geneverse (formerly Generark) is the most reliablesolar generator and source of emergency backup power for your home and community. From theHomePower backup battery power station providing portable access to electricity, to theSolarPowersolar panels as a source for recharging, never be disconnected from what matters most to you. Learn more about how Geneverse and its industry-leading 5-year limited warranty can bring protection and security to your family ongeneverse.com. Never face a power outage alone, and power your home with a solar generator from Geneverse.