Home insurance should be the order of the day for homeowners on the East Coast bracing for Hurricane Earl’s arrival. While the storm has been reduced to Category 3, it is bringing dangerous rip currents and large swells that could severely damage coastal homes in North Carolina, Virginia and more states up the coast.

Earl is On His Way

For homeowners living on Okracoke Island on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, mandatory evacuations have already been ordered. The same goes for all visitors to Hatteras Island. The storm, which lost some of its punch early on Wednesday, is still a major threat with winds near 125 mph. It is expected to hit North Carolina’s coast by Friday morning.

Some other cities that are on course with the storm include Virginia’s Parramore Island and Virginia Beach with other states along the coast like Massachusetts possibly being affected as well.

Are You Insured?

With Hurricane Earl on course to hit within a day or two, it’s important to make sure that you have secured quality home insurance as well as flood insurance to know you’re covered for wind damage, as well as any subsequent flooding that could occur.

In addition to securing the right policies, it’s good to take steps to protect your home from wind damage. Some include:

• Securing your roof: By nailing your sheathing down, you increase your chances of the roof still being there when you return to your home.
• Guarding your windows: To guard your windows, you could fit them and your glass doors with impact-resistant laminated glass, or purchase impact-resistant shutters to reduce damage from debris.
• Securing your doors: You could fit your doors with at least three hinges and install a deadbolt lock with a bolt throw of at least one inch to keep it from flying open.

Protecting your home both physically and financially from hurricanes are important steps in securing your investment and safe haven. As Hurricane Earl draws closer, review your policies, call your insurance agent for questions and take time to secure your home as quickly as possible before evacuating.

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