With this year’s hurricane season underway, we are already experiencing the mighty winds and rains here along the Florida Panhandle. It’s important to prepare before and during tropical storms and hurricanes to protect the valuable assets of your church. With that, there are special considerations for houses of worship to prepare and protect the church in tropical storms and hurricanes.
Important Documents
Back up your church’s important documents and records to a portable hard drive as well as to the cloud. Important documents include your church insurance policies, key employees’ contact information and disaster emergency plan. Read our guide here for developing a church disaster emergency plan.
Church Vehicles
Prepare and protect your church in a hurricane by protecting the vehicles. A church car, van or bus is one of the most expensive church assets to replace. During a hurricane, church vehicles are easily damaged by flying debris and rising waters. In fact, according to AmWins Group, Inc., just one foot of standing water is enough to render some vehicles inoperable.
Follow these guidelines to protect your church vehicle in a hurricane.
- Avoid driving in a tropical storm or hurricane.
- Park vehicles inside a covered area.
- Store the vehicles away from doors and windows.
- Park church vehicles under some sort of overhead cover or next to a building to avoid leaving vehicles fully exposed.
- Avoid parking near trees, power lines, or other potentially projectile objects.
- Relocate vehicles to higher ground if parked in an area prone to flood.
Outdoor Objects
Secure outdoor objects on and around the church campus. According to GuideOne Insurance, securing these outdoor objects is a key step in mitigating damage to your church in severe weather. What are some outdoor objects on your church property you will want to secure?
- Church Signs: If signs are portable, remove them altogether. For permanent signs near the ground, secure them with plywood in the same fashion as window hurricane prep.
- Playground Equipment: Most playground equipment is stationary. However, take another look around your preschool, daycare or church playground and either remove or secure loose or movable play equipment.
- Lighting: Repair or remove any loose lighting fixtures. Secure portable lighting such as ground landscape lighting.
| COVID-19: This year, due to the pandemic, be prepared with alternate modes of communication and power. According to Florida Light and Power, workers will take extra health precautions in the field which may slow down restoring lost power. |
Call us today with any questions on your church property insurance policy: 850-994-7944.
