Are you prepared to deal with a flood? How about a power outage? What’s your plan if there’s a hurricane coming? (Planning a hurricane party is not the correct answer.) If you have never planned for disaster, this is your time. September is National Preparedness Month, and the theme is designed to motivate. “Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.”

Throughout the month there have been weekly themes to encourage awareness and action. It culminates in the National PrepareAthon! Day on September 30. On that date, you are being asked to do a specific action step to move you and your family closer to feeling prepared for natural disasters. And, for those who want to take it further, go large with acts to make your neighborhood, workplace and community safer.

It begins by knowing your risks. Make yourself more aware of what may happen, and don’t get complacent thinking that “it can’t happen to me.” Every family needs a preparedness plan in place, one that is practiced before it’s needed. It’s the key to winning in adversity, such as being able to make the discomfort of a disaster such as a hurricane tolerable until life returns to normal.

Check out our resource library on disaster preparations, as well as http://www.ready.gov/, Reading through the information is a good first step, but putting the tips to work is essential. Here’s a great way to start, with an emergency communication plan. A natural disaster is stressful, of course, but not being able to get in touch with family is the worst part. Set up a contact plan and designate a meeting place – in advance. It’s that simple – and that important.

courtesy of iii.org

We live in a so-called sharing economy, so why are drivers so unwilling to share the road? Ours is a state where pedaling a bike on the roadway is dangerous to one’s health.

Florida has the highest death rates in the nation for bicyclists, 10 times higher than the safest state (Vermont) and more than double the national average. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a new report on bicyclist deaths associated with motor vehicle traffic. It shows that while traveling by bike accounts for about 1 percent of trips, bicyclists die on U.S. roads at a rate that is double that of vehicle occupants. The study notes that the mortality rate for men is six times greater than that of women, as men are typically more likely to view biking as a sport and mode of transportation.

A news article on bicycle safety plans in Florida said it is a matter of enforcement, education and engineering. Roads and speed limits just aren’t that bike-friendly. Is the solution wider bike lanes, slower traffic, police ticketing reckless drivers? Bike advocates say grassroots education is the key. Drivers simply think they own the road and don’t want to share with cyclists.

The League of American Bicyclists has a Bike Friendly America program that offers tools to make bicycling safer and a real transportation option. Check out information on insuring a high-end bike and keeping safe out there.

Note to motorists: Living in today’s sharing economy includes sharing the road with bicyclists. “Driving nice” doesn’t cost you a thing! courtesy of iii.org

Flood damage is excluded under standard homeowners and renters insurance policies. However, flood coverage is available in the form of a separate policy both from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and from a few private insurers.

Congress created the NFIP in 1968 in response to the rising cost of taxpayer-funded disaster relief for flood victims and the increasing amount of damage caused by floods. The NFIP makes federally backed flood insurance available in communities that agree to adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damage. The NFIP is self-supporting for the average historical loss year. This means that unless there is a widespread disaster, operating expenses and flood insurance claims are financed through premiums collected.

The NFIP provides coverage for up to $250,000 for the structure of the home and up to $100,000 for personal possessions. Private flood insurance is available for those who need additional insurance protection, known as “excess coverage,” over and above the basic policy or for people whose communities do not participate in the NFIP. Some insurers have introduced special policies for high-value properties. These policies may cover homes in noncoastal areas and/or provide enhancements to traditional flood coverage. The comprehensive portion of an auto insurance policy includes coverage for flood damage.

A 2015 poll by the Insurance Information Institute found that 14 percent of American homeowners had a flood insurance policy. This percentage has been at about the same level every year since 2009. The percentage of homeowners with flood insurance was highest in the South, at 21 percent, compared with 20 percent in 2014. Eleven percent of homeowners in the Northeast had a flood insurance policy, which is unchanged from 2014. Nine percent of homeowners in the West had a flood insurance policy, compared with 8 percent in 2014, while 10 percent of homeowners in the Midwest had flood insurance, compared with 7 percent in 2014.

courtesy of iii.org

Tropical Storm Erika ended up as a large rainstorm, but the season is here and the truth is no one can know for sure. That’s the way it is with weather. Florida’s Emergency Operations Center was activated, with officials acknowledging that Erika could result in anything from a rainy weekend to a category 3 hurricane.

So, what are you doing about it? Now is a good time to put this hurricane season checklist to work because if you wait until the threat of a storm is a certainty, it’s too late. Insurance companies don’t allow changes on coverage when a natural disaster is a sure thing. And, if you are still debating whether or not you should buy flood insurance, you can’t wait until the water is lapping at the front door. Flood policies from the federal government have a 30-day waiting period before going into effect.

It’s never a waste of time to make your home more disaster resistant and to restock your disaster supply kit. BIG TIP: Know your evacuation zone. If you are supposed to evacuate, please do. A recent poll shows that about one-third of Floridians would not evacuate in a Category 1 storm. That scares the heck out of emergency managers, who know more about the impacts of severe weather threats than the average person. Listen to the experts, please.

If you are ordered to evacuate, trust in your county emergency management office. If they get it wrong, at least you will safe so you can complain about the weather. courtesy of iii.org

Federal law requires owners of recreational boats to register them. In 2014 there were 11.8 million registered recreational boats, down from 12.0 million in 2013. An accident occurring on a recreational boat must be reported to the U.S. Coast Guard if a person dies or is injured and requires medical treatment beyond first aid; if damage to the boat or other property exceeds $2,000; and if the boat is lost or if a person disappears from the boat. Out of the 4,064 accidents reported in 2014, 581 occurred in Florida, accounting for 14.3 percent of all incidents. Other states with a high number of boating accidents were California (379), New York (175), Texas (167) and Missouri (142).

Boating fatalities increased by 8.9 percent to 610 in 2014 from 560 in 2013. The rate per 100,000 registered recreational boats was 5.2, up from 4.7 in 2013. The number of accidents was mostly unchanged in 2014, at 4,064 compared with 4,062 in 2013. Injuries rose to 2,678 in 2014 from 2,620 in 2013, or 2.2 percent. Property damage totaled $39 million in 2013, about the same as in 2013.

The U.S. Coast Guard says that alcohol, combined with typical boating conditions such as motion, vibration, engine noise, sun, wind and spray can impair a person’s abilities much faster than alcohol consumption on land. Boat operators with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above 0.10 percent are estimated to be more than 10 times more likely to be killed in a boating accident than boat operators with zero BAC. Alcohol was the largest primary human factor in boating deaths in 2014 (21 percent of boating fatalities), causing 108 deaths and 248 injuries in 277 accidents. Other primary contributing factors were operator inexperience, resulting in 44 deaths; and operator inattention, accounting for 38 deaths.