ATD INSURANCE

Floods happen everywhere. One-quarter of all flood insurance claims come from homes outside a designated flood zone. Even an inch of water above your floor can have devastating results for your home an its contents.

Is your neighborhood in a designated flood zone? If you aren't sure:

• Check with your city or county building authority, our agency or your mortgage lender to see what flood risk exists.
• Flood maps are being redrawn nationwide by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
• Consult your city or county building department to determine how the redrawing affects your property
• You may be among those newly considered to be in a new flood zone

Everyone lives in a flood zone, but the risk varies.

• Contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency to find out if your community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
• If your home is in a NFIP participating community, you are eligible to purchase flood insurance
• Set up a visit with our agency to discuss how to go about buying flood insurance.

Home fires are always a difficult ordeal to get through, no matter the size and scope of the damage. But the true tragedy is when a fire causes injuries or even fatalities to loved ones. Thanks to leaps in fire prevention technology and ever-vigilant firefighters, the Unites States has seen a dramatic decline in fire-related deaths over the past two decades. As smoke alarms and fire extinguishers become more prevalent in homes, residents have survived home fires at an increased rate.

However, two of the greatest prevention tools continues to be two of the simplest solutions: education and preparation. Merely teaching the members of your household what to do in case of a fire will increase your chances of surviving a fire unscathed. In particular, children need to be educatied about the dangers of fire, as children under the age of five are twice as likely as the rest of us to die in a fire.

Make it a priority to set aside a night to talk to the member of your household about fire safety. Many children are curious about fire and don't realize the risk it poses. Consider bringing up the following talking points in a calm but firm tone of voice:

• Explain to the young ones in your family matches and lighters are tools for adults only, and to alert an adult if these tools are lying around the house.
• Always store matches and lighters out of sight and reach of young children
• Do not use lighters, candles or matches as a source of amusement. Children often imitate the actions of their parents.
• Remember, no lighter is child-proof! Some are merely child-resistant.
• Teach your children what your fire alarm sounds like, and walk them through the escape plan several times per year.
• Establish a safe meeting place outside your home, and teach children to take nothing with them and never go back inside.

FACT: Matches, lighters and other heat sources are the leading cause of fire-related deaths for children under the age of 5.

As the weather continues to warm up across the country, severe storms - such as tornadoes flash floods and thunderstorms - will become more likely. Of these forms of severe weather, lightning often gets the least attention. Bud did you know that over the last 30 years, lightning strikes have claimed as many lives as tornadoes According to the National Ocenaic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there are an estimated 25 million lightning strikes every year. An average of 62 people have died per year due to lightning strikes since 1978, and many more times that are injured from strikes.

Myths abound regarding lightning strikes and the best way to protect yourself should you be caught in a thunderstorm. Read the following items, courtesy of NOAA, to remind yourself how to stay safe this spring.

MYTHS & FACTS:

MYTH: Lightning never strikes the same place twice

FACT: Lightning often strikes the same place twice, especially if it's a tall, pointy object. The Empire State building is struck nearly 25 times per year!

MYTH: If clouds aren't over my head and it isn't raining, lightning poses not threat to me.

FACT: Lightning often strikes more than three miles outside from the thunderstorm and has been known to travel as far as 10-15 miles before striking the ground.

MYTH: "Heat lightning" occurs after a very hot summer day and poses no threat.

FACT: "Heat lightning" is just a term used to describe lightning from a thunderstorm too far away to be heard.

Defensive driving is driving to prevent accidents, in spite of the incorrect actions of others or adverse weather conditions. Drivers who are safety-conscious have developed good habits and practice them daily.

• Keep alert and focus on driving. Keep your mind free of distractions and concentrate on the road. Road hazards can pop up in a split second, and you may not catch them if you're fiddling with the radio, talking on your car phone, scanning the newspaper headlines or putting on makeup in the rearview mirror.
• Obey all traffic laws. Pay attention to changing speed limits and other posted warnings. Make a full stop at stop signs. And remember, a yellow light means slow down and prepare to stop, not speed up and try to beat the red light.
• Be courteous to others. Give other drivers a break. Road rage leads to accidents. Defensive drivers take it easy and get home safely.
• Adjust your driving to suit weather conditions. Driving on wet or slippery surfaces is not the same as driving on dry surfaces. When the weather is bad, slow down and adjust your driving time and habits to the road conditions.
• Stay a safe distance from the vehicle ahead of you. One vehicle length for each 10 mph is the minimum distance for safety. This gives you time to apply your brakes gradually so you don't go into a spin or grind to a stop so quickly the vehicle behind you runs into you
• Anticipate traffic problems. Defensive drivers constantly scan the road and look for potential problems such as, curbside vehicles pulling out into traffic without warning, drivers running stop signs and red lights, unexpected stops and turns by other drivers, and drivers changing lanes without signaling.

When you get behind the wheel of any vehicle, remember that defensive driving is a full-time job. The most dangerous mile you have to drive is the one directly ahead of you.

As the weather continues to warm up across the country, severe storms - such as tornadoes, flash floods, and thunderstorms - will become more likely. Of these forms of severe weather, lightning often gets the least attention. But did you know that over the last 30 years, lightning strikes have claimed as many lives as tornadoes According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there are an estimated 25 million lightning strikes every year. An average of 62 people have died per year due to lightning strikes since 1978, and many more times that are injured from strikes.

Myths abound regarding lightning strikes and the best way to protect yourself should you be caught in a thunderstorm. Read the following items, courtesy of NOAA, to remind yourself how to stay safe this spring.

Myth - Lightning never strikes the same place twice

Fact - Lightning often strikes the same place twice, especially if it's a tall, pointy object. The Empire State building is struck nearly 25 times per year!

Myth - If clouds aren't over my head and it isn't raining, lightning poses no threat to me.

Fact - Lightning often strikes more than three miles outside from the thunderstorm and has been known to travel as far as 10-15 miles before striking the ground.

Myth - "Heat lightning" occurs after a very hot summer day and poses no threat

Fact - "Heat lightning" is just a term used to describe lightning from a thunderstorm too far away to be heard

Home Fires are always a difficult ordeal to get through, no matter the size and scope of the damage. But the true tragedy is when a fire causes injuries or even fatalities to loved ones. Thanks to leaps in fire prevention technology and ever-vigilant firefighters, the United States has seen a dramatic decline in fire-related deaths over the past two decades. As smoke alarms and fire extinguishers become more prevalent in homes, residents have survived home fires at an increased rate.

However, two of the greatest prevention tools continues to be two of the simplest solutions: education and preparation. Merely teaching the members of your household what to do in case of a fire will increase your chances of surviving a fire unscathed. In particular, children need to be educated about the dangers of fire, as children under the age of five are twice as likely as the rest of us to die in a fire.

Make it a priority to set aside a night to talk to the members of your household about fire safety. Many children are curious about fire and don't realize the risk it poses. Consider bringing up the following talking points in a calm but firm tone of voice:

• Explain to the young ones in your family matches and lighters are tools for adults only, and to alert an adult if these tools are lying around the house.
• Always store matches and lighters out of sight and reach of young children
• Do not use lighters, candles or matches as a source of amusement. Children often imitate the action of their parents.
• Remember, no lighter is child-proof! Some are merely child-resistant.
• Teach your children what your fire alarm sounds like, and walk them through the escape plan several times per year.
• Establish a safe meeting place outside your home, and teach children to take nothing with them and to never go back inside.

Preparing for hurricanes or other catastrophic storms, is much like planning for any emergency situation. Here are some supplies you should have on hand and items to consider in that preparation.

• Drinking water (at least 7 gallons per person)
• Battery-operated television or radio
• Battery-operated clock
• Spare batteries
• Flashlights
• Waterproof matches
• Toilet paper
• Cash (ATMs man not work after the storm)
• Bleach or water purification tablets
• Soap and detergent
• Valuable papers in a waterproof bag or container
• Extra supply of necessary medicine and nonperishable food (including pet food)

As the weather warms up, many of us are anxious to take the cycling paths. There are many risks to cycling, especially in urban areas, however. Contributing factors to bicycling accidents include streetcar and railway tracks, weather hazards and dangerous road surfaces.

Consider the following safety tips:

• Go over loose or slippery surfaces slowly. Turn corners carefully, keeping your bicycle as upright as possible
• Watch for cars approaching from the opposite direction that may turn left in front of you. Motorists often do no look out for cyclists.
• Avoid putting yourself in a position where cards can cut you off. Stay on the right edge of the traffic flow, but keep safely away from the curb.
• Establish eye contact with motorists at intersections. Be especially careful with drivers on the right, who may pull out in front of you.
• Your clothing should not flap in the wind as you ride. Secure your pant legs by using bicycle clips or tucking them into your socks so they do not catch in the chain.
• Bright, reflective clothing is best for riding both at night and during the day. A white or yellow helmet with reflective material on it is also highly visible.

You've heard of the proverbial "cloud with a silver lining?" Well, one silver lining after experiencing a flood in your home or business is being able to actually upgrade your property during damage repairs. According to the Insurance Institute of Property Loss Reduction (IIPLR), as the rebuilding process begins, homeowners should talk to their contractors about ways they can effectively upgrade or "retrofit' their homes or other property against flooding.

Here are a few general steps to consider:

• Install check valves and sewer traps to prevent backups;
• Install main breaker/fuse box and utility meters above the flood protection level;
• Raise machinery, equipment and other contents from basement level, or elevate above floor level;
• Landscape with native plants and vegetation which resist soil erosion
• Maintain or have access to a supply of sand and sand bags and materials for building dikes, such as plywood, lumber and plastic sheathing

Many people think about fire and tornadoes when insuring their homes. After all, if a tornado hits your house it can be devastating. But who will pay your mortgage if you are not here?

The death of an income earner can be devastating to a family's financial security. Did you know that the chance of a home burning to the ground is only 1 in 200 over 20 years? Yet, as the graph indicates, the chance that a male or female homeowner will die within 30 years is much more likely to occur.

You can protect your family for about the cost of a cup of coffee a day by purchasing mortgage insurance. By protecting your mortgage with life insurance you can rest assured that your family will have a place to live should something happen to you.

Make sure your family is protected. Call us today!