Safeguard Your Home When Daylight Saving Ends This Sunday
CHICAGO – RealEstateRama – On Sunday, November 7, daylight saving time ends, and we set our clocks back an hour. Take advantage of the extra time to ensure your family and home are best prepared for possible emergencies or unexpected disasters.
“This weekend is a good time to reset and get ready for the winter months ahead—reassess your home’s safety and family preparedness in case of an emergency,” said Moises Dugan, acting regional administrator, FEMA Region 5. “Replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, make sure your family knows what to do if something happens, and confirm your home is protected from the risks in your community.”
1. Check your carbon monoxide and smoke detector. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for testing the equipment to ensure it is functioning appropriately. Invest in new detectors if they’re near or past the manufacturer’s recommended replacement age.
2. Ready your home and verify your insurance coverages adequately protect your property. Keep out the cold with insulation, caulking, and weather stripping and learn how to keep pipes from freezing. Gather supplies in case you need to stay home for several days without power. Review your insurance policies and talk to your agent to ensure your property is fully covered for the hazards in your area.
3. Update your family’s emergency plan. Make sure each family member knows how they will receive emergency alerts and warnings and how to stay in touch with each other if something happens and you’re not together.
Visit Ready.gov to learn how to prepare for disasters and what to do during an emergency. Download the FEMA mobile app to receive real-time alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations nationwide, share notifications with loved ones via text, email and social media, and prepare for disasters with a customizable emergency kit checklist and emergency family plan.
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.
