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Flood & Earthquake – Safety Tips

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Floods are among the most frequent and costly natural disasters. Conditions that cause floods include heavy or steady rain for several hours or days that saturates the ground. Flash floods occur suddenly due to rapidly rising water along a stream or low-lying area

Here are some of the measures to safeguard your home and contents against flood & inundation

• Construct barriers (beams, floodwalls) to stop floodwater from entering your home.

• If possible, install a pump (e.g. sump pump) to pump out water that accumulates in basement or lower areas of structure

• Seal walls in basements with waterproofing compounds to avoid seepage.

• Be prepared! Pack a bag with important items in case you need to evacuate. Don't forget to include needed medications.

• If advised to evacuate your home, do so immediately.

• If there is any possibility of a flash flood, move immediately to higher ground.

• Keep Valuables & furniture above flood level where flooding has previously occurred.

• Turn off utilities at the main switches or valves. Disconnect electrical appliances.

• Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.

Safety tips during Earthquake

Earthquakes are not a frequent occurrence. However, they can be very disruptive because they occur suddenly and tend to affect large areas. Earthquakes can be a one-time event of a few seconds shaking or a series of events of varying duration.

Because earthquakes happen without warning, being prepared in advance is critical to minimize damages and loss. Consider these earthquake safety tips

• Know how to turn off your gas, water mains and power.

• Keep breakables in low or secure cabinets with latches.

• Use flexible connections where gas lines meet appliances.

• Install strong latches on kitchen cabinets.

• Secure top-heavy furniture to studs.

• Strap the water heater to wall studs.

• Locate a place in each room of the house that you can go to in case of an earthquake. It should be a spot where nothing is likely to fall on you.

• Check for damaged electrical wiring after earthquake. Shut off the power if you see damaged wiring in your house.

• Keep a supply of canned food, an up-to-date first aid kit, water, dust masks and goggles, and a working battery-operated radio and flashlights.

• Document the damage. If your  Home Insurance policy covers earthquake damage, make sure you take photos or video of the damage to use in the claim process.

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Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.