Be prepared for severe weather

NASHVILLE — Extreme weather patterns such as tornadoes, wildfires, and flash-flooding have claimed lives and destroyed property across the U.S. so far this summer – and the peak of summer is still ahead.

In an effort to help prepare Tennessee consumers should severe weather occur, the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance ("TDCI") encourages Tennessee consumers to remember that today's preparation can play a crucial part in making a successful recovery tomorrow.

"While no one can predict when a disaster will strike, consumers should take a few minutes today to prepare themselves and their families to ensure that they are ready to evacuate should a disaster strike," said TDCI Commissioner Carter Lawrence.

Creating a home inventory can be an invaluable resource when filing insurance claims after a disaster strikes. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners' ("NAIC") Home Inventory App makes it easy for consumers to create and protect a record of their belongings and offers tips on disaster preparation and filing claims.

"Creating an annual home inventory should be an important part of every homeowner's to-do list when it comes to emergency preparedness," said TDCI Assistant Commissioner for Insurance Bill Huddleston. "The NAIC's Home Inventory App makes it easy for consumers to make a safe, secure record of their home's contents in the event they ever need to file an insurance claim after an emergency."

The NAIC Home Inventory App, which can be accessed from the App Store and Google Play, gives consumers the ability to group belongings by category, scan barcodes for accuracy, upload and export photos with ease, find disaster preparation advice and review information about filing insurance claims.

In addition to making a home inventory, Tennessee consumers can take several other steps today to help them prepare for an emergency.

Create an emergency kit that includes bottled water, a first-aid kit, flashlights, a battery-powered radio, non-perishable food items, blankets, clothing, prescription medications, eyeglasses, personal hygiene supplies, and a small amount of cash.

Prepare an evacuation plan and choose two meeting places: one right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency (like a fire) and one outside your neighborhood in case you can't return home.

Review insurance policies — whether they are homeowners, renters, flood, or health policies — to make sure that adequate coverage is in place should a disaster strike. It is important to note that traditional homeowners policies do not cover floods.

Flood insurance can only be purchased through an insurance agent or an insurer participating in the National Flood Insurance Program ("NFIP"). If you are in need of an agent that sells flood insurance, you can contact the NFIP Referral Call Center at 1-800-427-4661.

Talk to an insurance producer about purchasing flood insurance. Before purchasing, make sure the agent is licensed to sell in Tennessee by visiting TDCI's website.

To assist consumers after a disaster, TDCI has compiled list of Consumer Disaster Recovery Resources that are available at https://www.tn.gov/commerce/disasters