State Farm Weather Preparedness

If a tornado came through your town or city, would you be prepared? Would you know what to do? You may be slightly naive and think a tornado will never blow through your place, but you could be dead wrong.
I live in Canada. You wouldn't think we see a lot of tornadoes in Ontario, Canada, but we do. Each summer, our province, especially in and around my community, has to be prepared for a twister to come through. The last couple of years they have gotten worse. One blew through a school, 15 minutes drive from my home. Thankfully it was a weekend, and no one was inside. Still, it was a painful reminder of what could happen. I live in a big city too, so don't think that will protect you. On the contrary. There will just be more stuff to come flying at you.

#BEREADY

Tornadoes are frequent in the US. Specifically the Great Plains, the South and the Midwest. Don't think for one minute though that your state is safe. It's not. Tornadoes are unpredictable and can happen anywhere.  State Farm is dedicated to keeping your family prepared from these destructive and potentially deadly storms. Here is what you need to know about the severity of tornadoes.

Here are some important dates coming up.

National Severe Weather Preparedness Week March 1 – 7, 2015
National Flood Safety Week March 16 – 20, 2015
National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day May 2, 2015
National Hurricane Preparedness Week May 24 – 30, 2015
National Lightning Safety Awareness Week June 21 – 27, 2015

How prepared are you for a tornado?

Did you know that in 2014, State Farm paid more than $870,000,000 in claims as a result of tornadoes and high winds? That is more money than I could possibly imagine!

The top 10 states with the most tornado/wind State Farm claims were:

1. Illinois 10,884 claims

2. Georgia 10,148 claims

3. Texas 7,999 claims

4. Ohio 6,849 claims

5. Tennessee 6,395 claims

6. Indiana 5,945 claims

7. Michigan 4,762 claims

8. Alabama 4,612 claims

9. Missouri 3,914 claims

10. Kentucky 3,583 claims

Is your state on that list? Would you believe that this is actually a decrease though? Yeah, I didn't believe it either, but it's true. In 2013, $1.3 billion was paid out. Florida actually gets the most tornadoes than any other state!

Preparing Your Home for a Tornado

Strengthen your garage. A garage windowless door with vertical bracing is your best option.
Secure all windows. If you’ve heard you should open windows during a tornado, you’ve heard wrong!
Maintain trees and shrubbery in your yard. Falling trees and blowing debris in storms often is the worst cause of fatalities and severe structural damage.
Store important documents such as birth certificates, wills, and certificates of ownership in a fire and water-proof safe. In the event your home is damaged or destroyed, you will still be able to access those vital documents.
Create and maintain a home inventory to make sure you have the right insurance protection, and in the event of a loss, it simplifies the claim process.

Preparing Your Family for a Tornado

Every member from the family should be familiar with your local severe weather warning system and know what to do in the event a tornado "watch" or "warning" is issued.
Create and practice a plan of action for your family, and choose a meeting place for your family, in the event you get separated
Consider installing a safe room. If you live in an area prone to tornadoes, this might be the only safe option. It won’t protect your home but will protect you and your family.
If you don't have a safe room or tornado shelter, you need to know what might be the safest place in your home and/or business during these events. A recommendation is the basement or a small interior room without windows.

During a Tornado (Inside a Shelter)

Head to the center of your home or basement, away from windows and preferably under
something sturdy like a workbench or staircase or in a bathtub with a mattress over top of the tub and you.
Get to the safest place possible, away from glass that can break and injure and/or kill you.
Closing interior doors will also help to compartmentalize the structure and provide more barriers between you and the storm. Making it more sound.
Don’t try to ride out a tornado in a manufactured home. Even manufactured homes with tie-downs overturn in these storms. They have light frames and offer winds a large surface area to push against.

During a Tornado (Outside with No Shelter)

Never try to outrun a tornado. You cannot humanly possible run or drive faster. Instead, find safe shelter. Not inside the vehicle.
If you can safely get lower than the level of the roadway, such as in a ditch, leave your car and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands.
Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a flat location.

Recovering from a Tornado

Use your emergency water or boil tap water before drinking, until you are told the water supply is safe. Food that came in contact with water may be contaminated and should be thrown out.
Visually inspect your home for structural damage and take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. Board up holes with plywood and cover leaks with plastic sheeting.
Your insurer will require you to document any damage to your property and provide receipts for recovery-related expenses. Save all receipts for home repairs, vehicle towing and repairs, temporary housing, meals, and all other living expenses.

About State Farm: 
State Farm and its’ affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 18,000 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve over 82 million policies and accounts – nearly 80 million auto, home, life, health and commercial policies, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 41 on the 2014 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit www.statefarm.com.

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