CHERYL NELSON, METEOROLOGIST AND NETWORK LIFESTYLE TV HOST, EXPLAINS HOW TO PREP FOR SEVERE WEATHER

In the Wake of Another Major Hurricane, An Important Message that Complements Your Own Weather Coverage

Hurricane Florence kicked off the season with a bang, and last year we saw enormous storms like Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria tear paths of death and destruction across the Caribbean and the U.S.  Every day there is news coverage of record floods, earthquakes, crippling blizzards and tornadoes hitting unusual parts of the nation.  That’s why we’re fortunate to have network television meteorologist Cheryl Nelson to provide her top safety tips to help people prepare for the storms.  You should know that Cheryl is also an instructor and Meteorologist for the FEMA National Disaster Preparedness Center.  She’ll share her top safety tips and you’ll learn why this meteorologist has dedicated her career to preparing people to survive extreme weather.  

AN IMPORTANT PART OF BEING PREPARED
When storms strike, staying connected is really important. Storms can cause cable and fiber Internet outages. While that’s just an inconvenience for many of us, Internet outages can be devastating to businesses. HughesNet Internet Continuity provides Internet access via satellite in the event of a cable or fiber outage. When the primary Internet connection goes down, the HughesNet system detects the outage and automatically switches over to a satellite Internet connection. When the primary connection is restored, the router automatically switches the connection back. With a subscription to HughesNet Internet Continuity, small and mid-size businesses can weather a storm without taking a costly hit to the bottom line. With only a one-time equipment charge and a monthly subscription fee, HughesNet Internet Continuity provides protection in the event of an Internet outage. For more information, visit internetcontinuity.hughesnet.com

SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO BE READY
If you live in an area impacted by wildfires, the smoke can affect how you feel.  I recommend Honeywell True HEPA Air Purifiers they are so effective at capturing tiny airborne particles like smoke. Honeywell Air Purifiers are so trusted they have been doing this for over 25 years and they are the #1 Brand recommended by Allergists. While smoke affects everyone, older adults, children and others with weakened immune systems can be most troubled by smoke. Honeywell HEPA Air Purifiers pull contaminated and dirty air into the unit, forcing it through a powerful filtration system and cleaning it up to 5 times an hour. Cost is under $200 for this model. For more information, visit www.honeywellpluggedin.com/air-purifiers

ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES TO KEEP ON HAND IN PREPARATION FOR SEVERE WEATHER  
You should always have extra batteries on hand. It is also important to keep important phone numbers written down on a laminated piece of paper. Have multiple copies of those numbers in areas of your home and car. One number I recommend you include on the list, is 1-800-RESPOND. It takes you to the people at ServiceMaster Restore. They are the go-to source for getting your home or business back to normal after a disaster strikes. Whether it’s recovering from a flood or fire or remedying a mold problem Service Master Restore provides the guidance, expertise and personalized care needed to ensure your life gets back to normal, quickly. In fact, according to a new survey from ServiceMaster Restore, nearly a third of Americans have experienced weather-related structural damage. Don’t try and tackle the recovery process on your own, ServiceMaster Restore is available 24/7/365 to help. Call ServiceMaster Restore at 1-800-RESPOND to get a free quote and to start getting your life back in order. For more disaster preparedness and recovery tips, visit www.ServiceMasterRestore.com

THE NUMBER ONE THING TO PROTECT AGAINST STORMS DOWN THE ROAD
The number one thing that people don’t think about until it’s too late is insurance. Did you know that even though the amount of damage from hurricanes seems to get worse and worse every year… only about five million people have flood insurance? I read that in the Carolinas only about 335,000 homes in the two states were covered. Each year, floods cost the U.S. $82 billion dollars, making it the nation’s most frequent and expensive natural disaster, so it’s important to think about.  If you don’t have the proper insurance, rebuilding can take many years. There is a resource I want to tell you about.  The National Association of Insurance Commissioners provides a wealth of information on types of insurance and facts that will help you determine what insurance you should purchase. They also have links to the state department of insurance offices to help you better understand your individual needs on their website insureuonline.org. You may also see their members on the ground after a disaster helping people get their claims filed quickly.  It’s important to get everything lined up before disaster strikes. That way you can make sure you can rebuild after the storm. Did you know…Water damage from a home's plumbing or a leaky roof is typically covered by homeowner’s insurance. But flood damage from ground-water or storm runoff is not.  Wildfires can pose a devastating one-two punch to homeowners. The fire itself and then the floods and that can follow in their wake. A typical homeowners policy covers fire, but it doesn’t cover the flood. These are all things you can learn about at www.insureu.naic.org.