Prepare Your Home for Winter This Fall

         We've been having a few warm days here and there, but I think its safe to say that fall is upon us. That means its time to do a bit of maintenance on the house before it gets too cold and snowy. I know I'd rather work in a sweatshirt than a big overcoat. Here are a few things you can do to make sure that you protect your property and stay warm and dry during the winter:

• Seal the cracks: Fill in cracks in your driveway now. This will keep your snow shovel sliding smoothly and extend the life of your driveway.

• Declutter your gutter: Clean all the leaf, stick and other debris out of the gutters. It will keep the water (snow melt) running away from your house instead of into it.

• Make sure its tip top: Inspect your roof to make sure that no shingles or metal sheeting is pulled up or missing. If it is, make sure to fix it as soon as possible. 

• Protect your pots: Put any terracotta pots you have inside. Freezing temperatures and water absorption can crack them.

• Replace that filter: Replace the filter on your furnace. The furnace will keep you warmer and it won't have to work so hard.

• Time for a change: Test and replace batteries in your smoke alarms. 

• Fireside checkup:  Check your fireplace for soot and creosote build up and inspect your wood heater before you used them this winter.

• Check for drafts: If you find cracks around your windows, seal them with caulk to prevent drafts and keep you toasty warm in the winter.

Emergency Preparedness Part 2

Create an emergency preparedness kit:

• Three gallons of water for each person (one gallon per day)
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert, and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First Aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Infant formula and diapers, if you have an infant
•  Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Dust mask or cotton t-shirt, to help filter the air
• Plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)

Clothing and Bedding:

If you live in a cold weather climate, you must think about warmth. It is possible that the power will be out and you will not have heat. Rethink your clothing and bedding supplies to account for growing children and other family changes. One complete change of warm clothing and shoes per person, including:

• A jacket or coat
• Long pants
• A long sleeve shirt
• Sturdy shoes
• A hat and gloves
• A sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person

Family Supply List (continued)

Below are some other items for your family to consider adding to its supply kit. Some of these items, especially those marked with a * can be dangerous, so please have an adult collect these supplies.

• Emergency reference materials such as a first aid book or a print out of the information on www.ready.gov
• Rain gear
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils
• Cash or traveler's checks, change
• Paper towels
• Fire Extinguisher
• Tent
• Compass
• Matches in a waterproof container*
• Signal flare*
• Paper, pencil
• Personal hygiene items including feminine supplies
• Disinfectant*
• Household chlorine bleach* - You can use bleach as a disinfectant (diluted nine parts water to one part bleach), or in an emergency you can also use it to treat water. Use 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
• Medicine dropper
• Important Family Documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container

Make a family disaster plan:

•         Where will you meet if a disaster occurs?
•         Who will be responsible for getting the emergency kit?
•          What can you do to protect your property when warned about a disaster?

Tell your friends about it:

•          Encourage them to create a an emergency preparedness kit and a disaster plan
•          Offer to help them.You can have fun with friends and family while making sure that they'll be ready in case of an emergency

Information is courtesy of ready.gov

National Preparedness Month

September in National Preparedness Month

What can you do to prepare yourself?

 "Washington County Tennessee Citizens Will Be Able To Attend A Class To Educate Them About Disaster Preparedness For Hazards That May Impact Their Area. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office Is Hosting A Community Emergency Response Team, Or Cert Class. The Classes Will Be Held Each Tuesday And Thursday At The Sheriff’s Office Beginning On October 7th From Six P.M. To Nine P.M. To Sign Up For The Class, Call 423-788-1414." -Holston Valley Broadcasting Corporation

Here is the link to an extensive preparedness guide from the Washington County-Johnson City Emergency Management Agency.

We will be posting more content on preparedness next week.

Open House

Come by our Mountain City office and say hello on September 9th . We'll be serving hotdogs and a few other goodies from 12-4 and would love to have you come by. Our address is 383 South Shady St. Mountain City, TN.

Protect Yourself From Floods

Protection

Source: SFGATE

• Avoid building on a flood plain unless you elevate and reinforce your home

• Think about installing "check valves" to prevent water from backing up into the drains of your home

• Create and emergency kit and a family flood plan

Why Purchase Flood Insurance

• More the 1/5 of flood claims come from outside mapped high-risk flood areas             

• Most homeowner insurance policies do not cover flooding due to excess rain or bodies of water

• Federal Disaster Assistance is only available if the President declares a disaster

• Flood Insurance is available at any time as long as you have a current policy

How To Obtain Flood Insurance

• Flood Insurance is provided through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

• There are certified agents around the country

• Follow this link to find one in your area: Find a Flood Insurance Agent

What To Do After A Flood 

• Check for structural damage to your home before entering

• Contact your service providers if you suspect any damage to your water, sewer, gas or electric lines

• Boil water for drinking purposes unless the water supply has declared safe

• Take pictures of all damage to your items and structures

• Create a list of damaged or missing items

• Move all wet items that could hold water from your home to prevent mold from growing. Mold can appear between 24 to 48 hours of flood.

• Make sure to leave wet items outside your home because your insurance adjuster will want to see the damage and take pieces of the damaged items

• Call your insurance agent with the name of your insurance company (some agents may write for multiple companies), your policy number, and a phone number or email address where you can be reached

Source: National Flood Insurance Program

What is a mutual insurance company?

East Tennessee Mutual Insurance is of course a mutual insurance company, but what does that mean?

     East Tennessee Mutual Insurance Company was founded in 1896 by a group of farmers who wanted to protect their farms and their homes. Our original name was Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Sullivan County. As a Mutual Company, we are owned by our policy holders, not shareholders which allows us to focus solely on our customers' needs. When you call, a person, not a machine, will answer the phone. We are constantly working to make sure that we are serving our policyholders quickly and efficiently. If you have an issue, we can usually resolve it in a few minutes or at worst, the same day we receive your call. Our company motto is "a personal touch" with "peace of mind."

     Until 2003, our primary focus of coverage was to Farms and Dwellings. Since then, we have expanded our coverage to include full Homeowner's Policies, Dwellings, Mobile Homes, Doublewides, and Rental homes while still offering the coverage to the Farms (Barns, Farm equipment, Livestock and Hay/Grain). Our mission is to be able to offer our policyholders a policy that fits their needs and is affordable.

     We have two locations: one in Blountville, TN and another in Mountain City, TN. We have 10 counties in East Tennessee that we currently write in. We have implemented a few new payment options: In person with cash, check, or credit card; mail in payments; monthly automatic drafts from a bank account; and online (Credit card or Bank draft) www.easttnmutualins.com.

     For 118 years, we have and will continue to grow and adjust to the changing needs of our policyholders. We base our decisions on what is best for our policyholders. Our company still stands by the core values of our original founders by being honest and being a company you can trust and rely on.

Why You Need Home Insurance?

Mortgaged Homes:                                                  

http://usfinancepost.com

If you have a mortgage on your home, you need homeowners insurance as a condition of that loan. This is the way the lender protects the investment that it has in your property. If you were to suffer a catastrophic loss of the home, the lender could recoup the value of the loan from an insurance claim. In this case, you have no choice about seeking out and later renewing your homeowners insurance. If you fail to renew, the mortgage holder will be notified and will likely instate its own policy which can be more expensive than a policy you obtain on the open market.

Catastrophic Loss:                                                         

http://www.pbs.org

If you own your home outright and choose to go without homeowners insurance you are running the risk of suffering the risk of losing what is probably your biggest financial asset. If your home is destroyed, you will have to deal with the consequences of the complete loss of an asset that is probably worth thousands of dollars.

Liability:                                                                        

http://www.gaebler.com

If someone slips and falls or injures themselves in another way on your property, you might be liable for expensive medical bills and the cost of a lawsuit. Homeowners policies cover most if not all of the costs accrued due to medical bills and court costs in liability cases. If you have no insurance, you could potentially be liable for millions of dollars in medical bills and damages.

Financial Consequences:                                                 

Icanhascheezeburger.com

If you drop your homeowners coverage and later decide that you want coverage again from another company, you might find it difficult. Insurers tend to be suspicious of homeowners who drop their coverage. They may refuse to insure you or if you are offered a policy it may be at a significantly higher premium than what you were previously paying because companies will view you as a higher risk. If you drop your homeowners coverage you are not protecting your assets. This can be a red flag to credit card companies and it can negatively effect your credit score.