1-800-Packouts, the nationwide leader in property contents restoration, reveals best practices for homeowners as they prepare for intense seasonal storms — including tips to ensure the smoothest possible disaster recovery.

“The beginning of spring is usually welcome, as it means warmer weather and plenty of sunny days. Unfortunately, it also marks the start of serious seasonal storms throughout many parts of the country, including ravaging tornados and flooding,” said Stefan Figley, president of 1-800-Packouts. “As spring leads into the heart of hurricane season, homeowners everywhere should know how to safeguard their properties and what to do in the aftermath of property loss.”

First and foremost, personal safety is a must. Homeowners can be prepared for all contingencies by assembling emergency kits, including bottled water, batteries and first aid supplies, along with essential medications for family members and for pets.

Securing the property is also essential. As storm season begins, homeowners should carefully assess their property for potential hazards such as loose shingles, broken gutters or tree branches hanging dangerously close to the house, which are all potential threats if winds are high.

“It’s vital to address these issues before a major storm passes through, reducing any unnecessary risk of extensive property damage,” said Figley.

Additional tips to help homeowners prepare include:

• Stay informed by closely monitoring weather forecasts.
• Create a family emergency plan, denoting evacuation and communication protocols—and make sure to include the wellbeing of any family pets, too.
• Know the location of main utility shut-offs, and practice safely shutting them off.
• Assemble an emergency kit, including medications.
• Protect the home by addressing loose shingles or branches, and reinforcing doors, windows and gutters.
• Review insurance policy details.
• Ensure important documents are safely stored on the cloud, allowing access when needed.
• Know the name of a local property restoration or emergency response company, and be ready to reach out to them as needed.

If significant storms do come through, there are certain steps homeowners should take to ensure a frictionless recovery. The first is simply performing a visual inspection, assessing any potential issues that need to be repaired. It is important to steer clear of loose, frayed wires and potentially unstable structures while inspecting the property.

If there is damage, homeowners should take photos of all damaged areas, ensuring proper documentation for an insurance claim. That claim should be filed promptly, and homeowners can always ask their insurer for more information about property restoration providers.

“Extreme weather can have catastrophic results, but fortunately there is much that homeowners can do to ensure their readiness—and to mediate their level of risk,” said Figley.

To learn more about 1-800-Packouts, visit https://www.1800packouts.com.

About 1-800-Packouts

1-800-Packouts, the leader in property contents restoration, delivers expert inventory management, packing, cleaning, and climate-controlled storage services for homes and businesses during stressful times. Trusted by property owners and the largest insurance carriers to secure and protect valuable possessions when disasters happen, 1-800-Packouts is expanding rapidly to meet the growing demand for contents restoration services across North America. For more information, visit https://www.1800packouts.com.