How to Prepare for the Calm Before the Storm

With the changes in the seasons come changes in the weather. The thoughts of season changes are often related to what temperatures we can expect, along with what types and how much precipitation will be falling from the sky. Being associated with the insurance industry, I have to say that I take a different view of the changing of seasons. My thoughts have become more storm-related.

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With winter, how many snow and ice storms are we going to have? Springtime usually sparks the beginning of thunderstorms that are often accompanied by strong winds, hail and the possibility of tornadoes. Summer continues the potential for strong storms and brings with it the threat of hurricanes. North Carolinians know that hurricane season lasts into the fall. The volatility of the weather in our state translates into the need to make sure that our insurance coverage is up to date, but more importantly, that policyholders have a thorough understanding of what is covered – and what is not.

Hurricane Florence devastated a large portion of our state in 2018 and was a storm like no other. Hurricane Michael followed, causing additional damage to the west and central areas of North Carolina. The weather events of 2018 taught me there are things I need to do during the calm before the storm. One of those tasks is to review my insurance policies to verify I have the protection needed before the actual storm hits.

It is important to understand that every insurance policy has exclusions, which are things that are not covered by the policy. Base policies were created to insure against some of the most common types of perils, but they were not intended to cover every possibility. However, some excluded perils can be bought back by adding endorsements to the base policy, or there might be another type of policy that can provide the specialized coverage needed.

The best advice that I can give our members and policyholders is to reach out to their local Farm Bureau Agent to schedule a no-obligation, confidential insurance review and take action during the calm before you experience the storm.

– Alan Williams