The weather is warming and homeowners across the country are making their way outdoors. Months of barbecues and backyard hangouts are right around the corner. Here are a few tips for preparing your home and family for a safe spring and summer season:

-1- Inspect decks and porches

In the warmer months there’s no better place to chill out a sip a cool drink than the comfort of a shady porch or deck. However, decks and porches are also a common place for weather damage and potential injuries if not properly maintained. Do a thorough inspection of all your outdoor infrastructure especially checking the areas where your deck comes into contact with your home for water damage. Take a look at the footings and make sure to repair any decayed or rotting boards immediately. Also check the flooring of your deck or porch for mold, moss and mildew and use a power washer to remove any traces you find to prevent slips and falls.

-2- How did your roof fair the winter?

Depending on the amount of snow, hail and wind your home sustained this winter it may be a good time to get up on your house and check the condition of your roof. If you aren’t experienced with this or don’t feel comfortable hire a roof expert to do an inspection. Finding any damage now can prevent a ton of issues down the line.

-3- Gutter cleaning

Clogged or broken gutters can create major problems once spring rains are among us. Gutters can get clogged with leaves and debris over the fall and winter months that can cause water to run back into your home causing ceiling and wall damage (as well as mold!). Clear downspouts and drains and make sure water can flow away from your foundation.

-4-  Clear trees and limbs

Tree limbs and branches that are weak or hanging can cause serious damage to your home or your neighbors’ home. Cut down any threatening limbs you can find or hire a landscaper to do a spring cleanup.

-5- Patch walkways

Cracks and damage to pavement, stone and brick in your walkways pose a major slip and fall hazard for your family, guests and even the mailman. Avoid the injuries (and medical bills!) by inspecting the major walkways leading to and around your home. You can buy patching materials from any major home center store to restore asphalt and concrete surfaces.

The two are holding a joint auction to raise awareness and money for the Red Cross’ programs in the state, Insurance Journal reports. Among the items up for auction are a trip to see Coldplay in concert in Paris, a new car or dugout tickets for a Los Angeles Dodgers game.

“I think it’s a great alliance,” Harold Brooks, CEO of the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter told the source. “It puts the energy and focus on something we think is very important: coping with and recovering from disasters and earthquakes.”

One of the points of the campaign is the need for earthquake insurance, which isn’t part of normal home insurance policies.

California deals with earthquakes on a regular basis, with the CEA saying it feels about 102 minor earthquakes a day. State disaster planning reports estimate that the state is hit by a tremor with a magnitude of 6 to 6.9 every two or three years.

This home was destroyed when an earthquake struck Northridge, California in January 1994. Approximately 114,000 residential and commercial structures were damaged and 72 deaths were attributed to the earthquake. Damage costs were estimated at $25 billion. FEMA News Photo

What is an earthquake?

Unlike hurricanes, floods and tornadoes- earthquakes are not disasters caused by weather, but rather by the movement of the earth’s crusts along the plate margins. The earth’s crust is made up of tectonic plates which are constantly moving together and apart at various places across the earth’s surface. Pressure builds up in the various places where the plates push together especially when one plate gets “stuck” trying to pass under another. This creates a great deal of pressure build-up. The trembling of the earth felt during an earthquake is due to the up-heaving of land masses when the pressure build-up releases and seismic waves occur. While earthquakes can happen anywhere in the country, they occur most often along the west coast of the United States as this is the convergence point of the Pacific and North American plates

How can I prepare my home and family for an earthquake?

As with any disaster preparation plan, be sure to have a Disaster Kit pre-organized in the event that you need to evacuate. Also, take the following precautions to prevent hazards in your home:

• Make sure shelves are fastened to the walls as well as any large pieces of furniture that could fall over during an earthquake
• Please breakable items in closed cabinets and make sure the cabinets have latches so that they can be closed securely
• Do not hang mirrors or other decorative objects over couches or beds
• Make sure all hanging light fixtures are secure
• Consult with an architectural expert to see if your home is structurally sound to withstand an earthquake. Some homes can be retrofitted to better withstand earthquake damage.

What should we do during an earthquake?

Earthquakes are one of the most difficult natural disasters to predict and they most likely occur without any warning at all. This is why it is always best to be prepared for an earthquake at all times if you live in an earthquake prone region.

• At first sign of an earthquake drop the ground and take cover away from objects that can fall on you and injure you. If you can, find a strong, sturdy table or other piece of furniture to hide under do so.
• Stay away from doorways and windows and use your arms and hands to protect your face from breaking glass.
• If you are outdoors during an earthquake, move quickly to an open area away from electrical lines, trees and buildings.

What should I do after an earthquake?

Stay precautious after an earthquake as oftentimes there may be a series of aftershocks. If you are injured, seek medical attention immediately. If not, look for injured victims around you and help administer any first aid you can. Look for downed or damaged utility lines including electrical or gas. If your home appears to have any structural damage, stay outdoors until an expert deems it safe to re-enter.

Is earthquake damage covered under my homeowners insurance policy?

Typically, damage that is caused to your home by an earthquake is not covered under a standard homeowners insurance policy. A separate earthquake insurance policy must be purchased to supplement your standard coverage in order to protect your home from earthquake loss. Ask your homeowners insurance agent if this coverage is available and if it is recommended in your area.

The Tornado forced the Mayor to declare a state of Emergency

“I have never seen two tornadoes hit two large metropolitan areas at the same time before,” Expert Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity said. According to FlightStats.com, all American Airline Flights at the Dallas International Airport are cancelled.

This image of a tornado touching down was taken from the Texas Department of Transportation web camera along I-35 in Parkerville, Texas. Arlington, Texas, was hit very hard, forcing the mayor to declare a state of emergency.

Homes were heavily damaged in some communities, while trees and power lines were toppled. Gas leaks occurred in some parts of Arlington. Currently, storms are gathering into a squall line from Paris to Austin, Texas. The main threats with these storms are transitioning to large hail and damaging winds. However, some discrete thunderstorms firing out ahead of the main line of thunderstorms moving from northeastern Texas into southwestern Arkansas, far northwestern Louisiana and far southeastern Oklahoma could still spawn tornadoes.

Live Reports:

4:45 p.m. CST: Emergency Manager reported a possible tornado east of Hagansport in Franklin County, Texas.

4:32 p.m. CST: A large and dangerous tornado was spotted south of Greenville, Texas.

4:27 p.m. CST: “Six homes damaged to the point of uninhabitable on Thorn Hill Drive,” Arlington #scanner

4:10 p.m. CST: Titus County Sheriff witnessed a tornado touch down 5 miles northeast of Mount Pleasant, Texas.

4:08 p.m. CST: County Emergency Management reported a tornado near Union Valley.

4:05 p.m. CST: A tornado was reported in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

4:04 p.m. CST: Roofs were torn off of multiple single story homes — from spotter near Lancaster, Texas.

3:42 p.m. CST: A tornado was spotted in Forney, Texas. There are unconfirmed reports that Forney High School was struck by the tornado.

3:15 p.m. CST: Dozens of planes being inspected for hail damage at Dallas International Airport from local news.

3:09 p.m. CST: @spann: Tornado reported on the ground north of Lone Oak, Texas, by NWS.

3:04 p.m. CST: “Highest tornado risks now are near Plano and Wylie. Also circulation seen at Grand Prarie and just south Dallas,” @spann

3:01 p.m. CST: @weathermatrix: Police: Tornado on the ground near Trinity Mills & Tollway in Carrolton, TX

2:52 p.m. CST: “Damage to the house of an elderly couple. Neighbors could not get a hold of them,” Arlington scanner #tornado

2:37 p.m. CST: @JonathanDBoles: Crazy video just happened!! Tornado – Arlington, TX

2:33 p.m. CST: @MadStormChasing “Tornado damage to roof of well-built house in Arlington, TX”

2:23 p.m. CST: Up to baseball-sized hail falling north of Irving, Texas.

2:21 p.m. CST: “Tornado #3 is going to pass very close to Texas Motor speedway,” @wxbrad #nascar

2:20 p.m. CST: “Traffic advisory issued — highway near Dallas, Texas shut down due to tornado, ‘numerous’ vehicles damaged,” @ProducerMatthew

2:13 p.m. CST: @jimwxgator: DFW airport is sending terminal passengers into storm shelters due to tornadoes tracking towards the airport.

2:11 p.m. CST: “A house completely demolished, gas leak in the area” Arlington Police scanner #tornado

2:08 p.m. CST: “Lots of debris and damage to multiple houses in this area,” Arlington scanner #Dallas #Tornado

2:04 p.m. CST: Tornado is heading right toward DFW airport. That could be a disaster.

1:58 p.m. CST: “Motor home blown sideways blocking the street. There is a person stuck inside the mobile home,” Arlington scanner #Dallas #tornado

1:52 p.m. CST: @Henry_Margusity: The storm by Arlington looks like strongest of the two storms now. #tornado

1:44 p.m. CST: @JKnoll52: trucks destroyed pic.twitter.com/yIvIbAfl

1:43 p.m. CST: @ProducerMatthew: Dallas County authorities reporting injuries to residents following tornado (scanner)

1:40 p.m. CST: Tractor trailer being tossed in the air from the #dallas tornado” pic.twitter.com/2IScc0au (via @MikeMasco)

1:39 p.m. CST: A tornado is moving right through downtown Arlington, Texas. This is a very dangerous situation.

1:38 p.m. CST: @ProducerMatthew “LIVE AUDIO: Arlington fire and police scanner bit.ly/hOkQPb

1:36 p.m. CST: @JKnoll52: multiple semi trailers picked up and just tossed. Eastern Dallas County “Tornado Emergency”

1:23 p.m. CST: “This is a potential disaster for east Dallas as the tornado is tracking straight north toward Dallas,” @Henry_Margusity.

1:17 p.m. CST: @Henry_Margusity: Tornado on the traffic cam along I-35 in Parkerville, Texas, near Fort Worth. ow.ly/i/xSCk

Severe Weather Set-Up

A slow-moving storm system centered over northern New Mexico is the culprit behind the severe storms. This system will be slow to inch its way towards the southern Plains by Wednesday morning.
In a setup more typical of late spring or early summer, unusually warm and moist air will continue to surge northward across the southern Plains, the Tennessee and Ohio valleys, acting as the fuel for storms.

With the peak of the severe weather season across the southern Plains occurring during the month of April, it comes as no surprise that the region is under the risk for severe storms.
Similar to Monday evening’s storms that crawled through the Texas Panhandle as well as western Oklahoma and Kansas, the primary threat with today’s storms will be hail.
Some of the hail will be very large, in some instances bigger than the size of golf balls. Hail of this magnitude can cause damage to automobiles, rooftops and even vegetation.

Strong and potentially damaging winds will also be associated with these storms today. Gusts with the strongest storms are likely to exceed 60 mph, which is strong enough the knock down tree limbs.
A few isolated tornadoes will be possible as well with the strongest storms.

The severe storms across the southern Plains are most likely during the afternoon and evening hours as a line of nasty storms slowly progress towards the east. Cities that will be at risk include Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Okla., as well as Dallas, San Antonio and Tyler, Texas. The severe threat is expected to continue into early Wednesday morning as the line of storms pushes eastward into Houston, Texas, Shreveport, La., and Fort Smith, Ark., as well as southern Missouri.

Flooding damaged many business’

1. Take pictures and make a video of the structure in flooded conditon as soon as you return and prior to removing anything. Allow the flood adjuster to see the home as is following the flood if possible.

2. Remove all wet and damaged contents and place it in a pile for inspection by the insurer. DO NOT throw things out until you have photographed all items and have allowed the adjuster to inspect them.

3. If you flooded to ’4?’ or less in side the structure, remove all water damaged building materials that are under the 4? level. If you have paneling you will probably have to remove the paneling to ’8?’ high because that’s how its produced and you can’t splice it.

4. If you flooded to above ’4?’ in depth you will likely have to remove all items touched by the water up to ’8?’.

5. Ensure that the adjuster views all removed items in person and if not take lots of pictures.

Be careful when approached by contractors

6. *** You will be approached by numerous contractors offering to “demolish and dry out” your structure. Be very careful because the flood policy will not normally cover large amounts of drying and when your claim is paid, they will only pay for removal and replacement of water damaged items. Often times, drying contractors will attempt to charge exorbitant fees to demolish and dry your facility and those per square foot fees often exceed what the insurer will allow for removal, drying and replacement combined. Be very careful as to what you sign.

7. Never sign a sworn proof of loss for the flood adjuster unless you wholely agree with the estimate as presented. A common request you may hear from a flood adjuster is to sign the proof of loss for what he has written up regardless of the amount because “you can always file a supplement later”. If you sign a sworn proof of loss for an amount you don’t agree with this may come back to haunt you later. Press the adjuster to get the estimate correct up front!

8. Be proactive regarding the removal of damaged items. If you fail to take action and your home eventually dries out you may be stuck with decaying building materials simply because the adjuster deems them “now dry”.

9. Never give the adjuster original documents of any type. Keep copies of everything and when you provide documents to the adjuster, ask the adjuster to sign for receipt of such items. Request an address, phone, fax and email for the flood adjuster. Remember they are likely from somewhere other than where your loss is and you want to be able to locate them later if needed.

Aside from attorneys and the broker of record, public adjusters licensed by state departments of insurance are the only type of claims adjuster that can legally represent the rights of an insured during a property insurance claim process. A public adjuster will be most beneficial when it is clear that the insurer will pay the claim and the only issue is the proper identification and valuation of the loss. Most public adjusters charge a percentage of the settlement (with the percentage being lower for larger losses (over $250,000)), with the average charge being between 10% to 15%, although some states cap the fee. Primarily they appraise the damage, prepare an estimate and other claim documentation, read the policy of insurance to determine coverages, and negotiate with the insurance company’s adjuster.

There are three classes of insurance claims adjusters:

“Company” or “independent” adjusters can only legally represent the rights of an insurance company.

Outside the United States Adjusters are commonly called (or translated into English as) “insurance loss assessors” (or simply “loss assessors”) and staff adjusters or independent adjusters are called or translated as “insurance loss adjusters” (or simply “loss adjusters”).

Analyzing homeowners insurance policies require a great deal of your time. It’s only fitting that you invest time to do your research before getting the insurance for your most valuable and probably the most expensive asset. Because ultimately, it is not merely protecting your house or your possessions, it is giving you and your family the peace of mind that you are safe inside your home and can expect the comforts for a long period of time.

It is always best to get a policy when your house is new. It would be a plus when the company appraise your house. If your house is in a community with a low crime rate and in a carefully laid out housing plan without any immediate hazards, you might be able to get a considerably lesser premium. But if you do not belong to this kind of neighborhood and not really sure about the condition of that particular location, and have actually bought a waterfront house, you cannot just uproot your house and transfer. You just have to select and scrutinize the policy that you think will be best for you and check the details as you dissect each sections of your contract.