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Grand Rapids, MI –  It’s never too early to prepare for a hurricane. Foremost® asks all coastal residents to take time and review their evacuation plans in the event they need to leave their homes.  

“Preparation saves lives,” says Rob Teves, central regional manager of the company’s claim division, HelpPoint® Claim Services. “Planning and practicing an evacuation route can not only minimize confusion during an emergency but can ensure that all members of the family make it safely out of low-lying and threatened areas.”

When it comes to creating a hurricane evacuation plan, it’s important for the entire family to be on the same page.

  • Agree on where to go. An evacuation plan should include at least two different destinations away from danger in case one is in the path of the storm. The destinations should be as near to home as possible to minimize the distance traveled. Make sure to find animal friendly places if pets will need to be evacuated as well.  
  • Map out a way to get there. It’s good to have a couple of different routes in case one is blocked or closed. Take into consideration that people may be coming from work, school, or other locations when an evacuation is ordered. Find out what the emergency plans are for the school if an evacuation is ordered while children are there.
  • Create a contact list. Designate someone outside the area for all to contact in the event family members are separated as it may be easier to make a long distance calls than call across town. Make sure all family members have cell phones and designate the out-of-town person as “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) in the phone’s contact list. If any person doesn’t have a cell phone, make sure they have the means to call that person in the event of an emergency. Should the situation be serious enough that everyone can’t evacuate together, instruct everyone to call the contact person first to report they are safe.
  • Create a portable disaster kit. It should contain first aid supplies, non-perishable food, water, prescription medications, a battery-powered radio and flash light with extra batteries, money and copies of important documents such as insurance policies and identification. It’s also good to consider having some supplies for a long car ride, because sometimes advance planning can’t successfully avoid traffic congestion during an evacuation. 

It’s also important for residents in coastal regions to keep their gasoline tanks topped off during hurricane season. When an evacuation is ordered, it’s not uncommon for lines to form at gas stations or for stations to run out of gas.

For more hurricane preparedness information, visit the severe events page of Foremost.com. Claims updates throughout hurricane season can be found on the severe events page.

To learn more about Foremost’s products or to share feedback, visit Foremost.com, our Facebook page at Facebook.com/ForemostInsurance or our Twitter page at Twitter.com/Foremost.