Prepare Your Home

  • Have home inspected to ensure compliance with fire and building codes.
  • Repair defective wiring and large cracks in plaster.
  • Obtain disaster insurance for home and personal property.
  • Obtain information on the National Flood Insurance Program from an insurance company or your local emergency management office.
  • Secure important papers, lists, and photographs of personal property, in a bank safety deposit box.
  • Buy ABC fire extinguishers, keep them accessible on each building level and periodically check functioning.
  • Install smoke detectors on each level outside sleeping areas, not in kitchens or bathrooms. Check functioning, and vacuum out dust and dirt once a month. Change batteries yearly.
  • Install carbon monoxide detector. Regularly maintain according to manufacturers instructions.
  • Buy flashlights/emergency lighting. Avoid using candles (fire hazard).
  • Make your house address/number clearly visible from the street.
  • Securely bolt/fasten your water heater.
  • Locate your home’s main water, electrical, and gas shut-offs, and learn how and when to shut them off. Mark with brightly colored stickers or tape.