The Associate Press reports that the last month of twisters has already made 2011 the deadliest year regarding tornadoes in over five decades. What may be even more disturbing is that the tornado-affected areas have the highest rate of homes without homeowner’s insurance. Consequently, some of the families who need the most insurance-related assistance do not have it and will have a harder time recouping their losses. While the federal government is able to offer some assistance, the law limits the amount of assistance it can provide to $30,300 per household.
The Most Hazard-Prone
The federal government mandates the purchase of flood insurance in specific zones, but homeowner’s insurance is not. So far, the tornadoes have cost the lives of over 450 individuals and over a billion dollars in damage. The state of Mississippi has the second largest percentage of homes in the U.S. to not carry homeowner’s insurance that covers wind damage and is one of the top five states to have the most tornadoes touch the land in the last five years. Arkansas has the fourth largest percentage of uninsured homes in the U.S. and is number 10 in the list of states that are most tornado-prone. Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma are among the top 10 states to have the most tornadoes in the country, and have a high percentage of uninsured homes.
Not Insuring a Home ≠ Money Savings
The reason so many homes in the tornado-torn areas of the U.S. do not have homeowner’s insurance is because the owners no longer have a mortgage, so the banks do not require such coverage. When an individual owns a home and no longer has to make mortgage payments, the decision to purchase homeowners insurance is strictly personal. The AP report associates much of the lack of insurance on the high cost to insure older homes and the higher poverty levels. However, as many homeowners found out, going without homeowner’s insurance will not necessarily save you money in the future.
More than 100,000 households and individuals who are victims of the recent tornadoes are waiting to receive FEMA disaster assistance in order to have access to basic needs, temporary shelter and financial assistance for home repairs. A homeowner’s insurance policy helps provide the funds for hotel costs, meals, property replacement, to rebuild a home and general recovery from a storm. Insurance is a matter of risk, and the question begs: Is it worth foregoing the purchase of insurance in order to save money in the present? The decision is strictly personal.
Tornadoes and storms continued to pummel the South over the weekend, wreaking havoc in 25 North Carolina counties. South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland also issued scattered tornado reports. The North Carolina twisters claimed the lives of 21 people and seriously injured 130 throughout the state, and President Obama has already pledged his support to Governor Beverly Perdue.
The Hardest Hit
Most of the injuries and fatalities occurred to those who were in mobile homes. Shaw University’s campus in Raleigh, NC experienced so much damage that it has cancelled what is left of its spring semester. Governor Perdue reported in an interview that thousands of acres of agricultural land were also destroyed by the tornadoes.
Advanced Planning Pays
A major franchised home improvement store in North Carolina experienced the fruits of its employeeemergency disaster training during the turbulent weekend. Part of the company’s employee training includes directions about what to do in the event of a disaster, such as a tornado. As soon as employees recognized the signs of a tornado, they ordered the customers to go to the back of the store. An MSNBC report states that the employees had 1.5 to 2 minutes to react to the situation and get everyone to the safest area of the store, the back. Despite one customer’s protest, employees were able to get everyone in the building to safety just before a tornado ripped the front of store to shreds of twisted metal and broken glass.
Every company should create a business emergency disaster plan and incorporate it into ongoing employee training. The benefits of taking the time to do so are multi-fold, as employees will know how to act quickly, reach safety and help save the lives of others. A business disaster plan should also include steps to recover after an incident to help ensure speedy business continuity.
Like a scene from a Hollywood production, trees toppled, rooftops flew off houses and cars were tossed like toys as a storm sent tornadoes to pummel the Southern states. Dozens of homes and businesses experienced damage, and residents can expect the severe weather to last through Saturday, according to a report by CNN.
So far, this storm has claimed the lives of nine people and has left 15 injured. Like house fires, tornadoes are unpredictable and require families to act quickly so they can get to a safe location. Commit the following tips to memory before a storm affects your community:
The safest place in your home is in your storm shelter, basement or a room/area on the bottom floor that does not have windows. Examples of such areas include bathrooms, closets, under a stairwell or in a windowless hallway. Put as many walls as you can between you and the outside of your home.
Crouch down on the floor, facing down, and cover your head with your hands. Keep in mind that a bathtub may offer extra protection. If possible, place thick padding over your body, like blankets or pillows.
If you live in a mobile or manufactured home, get out and go to a community storm shelter or to a building that has a permanent foundation. If shelter options are not readily available to you, go outside and lay face down on the ground away from other mobile homes, cars and trees.
The people of Wethersfield, Connecticut braced themselves as winds ripped through their town at speeds of up to 100 mph on Friday. If any of the residents suspected a tornado must have passed through the town, they would have been right.
As a result of the strong storm, officials of Hartford County opened up shelters to help those displaced. The tornado toppled trees into houses and roads and caused devastation the people of the town would have never expected. Most people lost power for most of the day-not the ideal way for one to start the weekend. Many people throughout the county are still without power today, but it will hopefully be restored by the end of Sunday.
The debris and fallen trees caused damage to numerous homes. If these homes are not repaired quickly and correctly, they could see damages that extend past what just the trees did. Vulnerable areas of a home are more at risk to be affected by water and mold damage in the future.
Shingles on a roof that are torn or blown-off after a storm can allow water to seep through. If the water does not properly dry or there is a lot of moisture in the affected area, the roof’s integrity could be compromised. The damage could even extend to ceilings within a building, causing them to collapse.
In the wake of a storm and tornado that hit Anderson County in South Carolina this weekend that caused $1.5 million of damage, The Weather Guys with USA Today have reported there is a severe weather threat for many southern states:
“Low pressure over Texas will be the main weather maker today, with widespread thunderstorms already stretching from southwestern Missouri through central Texas this morning. Much of the region is at a slight risk for severe thunderstorms, including southern Oklahoma, central and eastern Texas, Louisiana, southern Arkansas, much of Mississippi and western Alabama. The area at greatest risk for tornadic thunderstorms this afternoon and evening includes southeastern Texas, central and southern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi. This storm system will also bring moderate to heavy rainfall for parts of the southern Plains, lower Mississippi Valley and Tennessee Valley. Heaviest rainfall today and tonight is expected in southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana.
As the storm system moves eastward tonight and Monday, the severe thunderstorm threat will spread into parts of the Ohio Valley and Southeast.”
The National Weather Service has stated they predict the severe weather to last through 3:00 am. On Monday, however, strong winds and hail are predicted.
The Associate Press reports that the last month of twisters has already made 2011 the deadliest year regarding tornadoes in over five decades. What may be even more disturbing is that the tornado-affected areas have the highest rate of homes without homeowner’s insurance. Consequently, some of the families who need the most insurance-related assistance do not have it and will have a harder time recouping their losses. While the federal government is able to offer some assistance, the law limits the amount of assistance it can provide to $30,300 per household.
