“Sandy has the potential to bring major impacts to the U.S. East Coast through the weekend and into early next week.” – Weather.com

Sandy is currently considered a Category 2 hurricane located near the Bahamas.  This hurricane is forecast to take a turn toward the Atlantic Coast and make landfall early next week.  Weather officials are warning that even though there is a potential for Sandy to be declassified as a non-tropical storm prior to landfall, it is hardly a weakening storm and the opportunity to protect property will end quickly if you hold off too long.  Don’t wait until it’s too late to prepare!

You should consider taking the following safety precautions this weekend….

If the National Weather Service issues a Hurricane Watch this means hurricane conditions are a legitimate possibility.  The steps below should be followed in this event:

• Prepare your hurricane emergency kit
• Learn the proper safe evacuation routes inland and find out where the shelter locations are in your area
• Fill up your gas tank
• Bring in any patio furniture/grills that can easily blow away in high winds

Once a Hurricane Warning is put into effect, you should….

• Check local radio & television stations to be certain you’re notified of any mandatory evacuations that may be issued
• If a mandatory evacuation is not issued, stay indoors away from any windows

When planning for a hurricane you should…

• You should discuss with your family on where you’ll meet in an evacuation
• Have an out-of-state contact in case you become separated from family members
• Make the proper arrangements for your pets as soon as possible
• Disable all electricity in your home
• Move everything away from doors/windows, then secure all windows with ply wood in case of flying objects from wind or debris
• Make sure your cell phone is fully charged and you have all of the necessary emergency numbers stored in  your cell phone
• Stock up on new batteries, candles, canned foods, bottled water, flashlights

After the storm you should….

• Continue to listen to local radio stations for instructions
• Stay in a safe place until emergency officials say it’s safe to return home
• Try to limit opening your refrigerator and/or freezer – an unopened refrigerator will keep food cold enough for a couple of hours; a freezer that is half full will keep foods cold for up to 24 hours

To download a .pdf version of our Hurricane Planning Guide, which may be of use for your clients, visit New Empire Group, Ltd.’s Documents Download page.

For more information on Hurricane Sandy, visit AccuWeather.com

New Empire Group, LTD. offers coverage for Property Managers, Community Associations and Apartment Building Owners!  Double-check your General Liability and Umbrella coverage to make sure you don’t end up with any unwanted claims!

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