The term refers to the steps you take to make sure you are safe before, during and after an emergency or natural disaster. These plans are important for your safety in both natural disasters and man-made disasters. Examples of natural disasters are floods, blizzards, tornadoes and earthquakes.

Don’t wait for severe weather to arrive to start thinking about keeping yourself and your family safe. Being storm aware means having a plan before severe weather strikes. The following tips can help you create a tornado-safety plan.

Emergency Kit

Keep the following items in a container that can be easily carried.

Water and canned or dried food – families should set aside one gallon of water per person per day, to last three days, and a three-day supply of food per person.

The food should be nonperishable items that don’t need to be cooked, such as tuna and crackers. Remember to include a manual can opener. If there’s an infant in the house, include formula and baby food.

Battery powered radio

Flashlight

Extra batteries for the radio and flashlight

Prescription medications

First-aid kit

whistle

Why is homeowners insurance important?

Homeowners insurance is important because it protects consumers' homes and personal property. In the event of a total loss, insurance can provide the primary source of rebuilding funds. It also provides liability coverage for legal actions from injuries or damage from another person on their property

Why is it important to review your homeowners insurance policy?

An insurance review helps provide you the peace of mind that your most treasured belongings (and family members) are adequately protected in case something unexpected happens like a fire, theft or weather event.

Does homeowners insurance cover tornado damage?

Wind or hail from a tornado can quickly cause devastation to your home and belongings, and often without warning. Whether your homeowners insurance helps cover tornado damage to your home depends on where you live, the type and amount of coverage you have and what causes the damage.

Here are some things to consider about homeowners insurance and coverage for tornado damage.

Coverage for tornado damage caused by wind.

Homeowners insurance typically covers certain perils, such as wind and hail.

Most standard homeowners insurance policies include dwelling coverage, which may help pay to repair or rebuild your home if wind from a tornado damages it. On the other hand, personal property coverage may help pay to repair or replace damaged or destroyed belongings that were inside your home. But, some insurance policies may exclude wind damage, so it's important to read your policy carefully to understand whether it includes coverage for wind damage.

If your policy excludes windstorm damage, it probably will not help cover the cost of repairs if your home is damaged by a tornado.

Deductibles and limits on coverage for tornadoes.

Remember that when you file an insurance claim, you will likely need to pay your deductible first. This is the amount you're responsible for before an insurer will pay toward a covered claim.

It's also important to remember that limits — the maximum amount your insurance policy will pay toward a covered loss — will apply. Your local agent can help you review your coverages to determine whether your coverage limits are appropriate to help repair or rebuild your home.

When it comes to replacing your belongings, your insurer will usually reimburse you in one of two ways: for the item's actual cash value or replacement cost.

Actual cash value coverage pays you the cash value of the contents you insured, but factors in depreciation of the item.

Replacement cost coverage helps reimburse you for the cost of replacing a damaged item with one of similar type and quality.

You can typically choose which type of personal property coverage you'd like when purchasing insurance. If you choose replacement cost coverage, your policy premium may increase.

Tornado damage caused by flood.

While tornadoes can be accompanied by heavy rain, it's important to understand that homeowners insurance policies generally do not provide coverage for flood damage. So, even if your policy offers protection against perils like wind, damage caused by flooding likely would not be covered. You may be able to purchase a separate flood insurance policy through the National Flood Insurance Program.

However, if rainwater gets into your home because your roof was damaged by wind or hail, homeowners insurance may offer some protection — but only if your policy includes coverage for these types of perils.

Tornado damage caused by trees.

Tornadoes may also cause trees to fall, which can damage your house or car, as well as other people's property. Whether or not your insurer will help pay for damage caused by a fallen tree depends on your policy's coverages. For example, if wind caused the tree to topple onto your home, and your policy's covered perils include wind, you may find that your insurance company will help pay for repairs. On the other hand, if a maintenance-related issue caused the tree to fall on your home (say you neglected the tree and it was rotting), your homeowners insurance policy likely won't pay for repairs.

Most people don't expect a tornado to damage their home, but it's important to understand whether your insurance would help pay for repairs if the unexpected happens. It's a good idea to read your policy documents to understand your coverage.

Comprehensive coverage covers damage to your vehicle from events out of your control, including storm damage, hail, wind, floods, and lightning.

If your vehicle is damaged by a tornado and you carry comprehensive coverage, your auto insurance policy may pay to repair or replace your vehicle, minus your deductible.

Please review your policy, and have the conversation with your car insurance rep.

Being prepared for a natural disaster is an excellent practice; however, not everyone plans in advance, and there are also individuals who are disabled and alone. In the case of a disaster where you were not severely impacted and can offer assistance, please check on your family members and neighbors. If you possess skills in the construction trade, consider volunteering to help the community. Our community is more than just buildings; we, the residents, are its heart and soul. Coming together to assist one another is crucial for survival and improving the quality of life.