The Power of Being Prepared
June 1 marks the start of Hurricane Season. Hurricane season begins June 1st and runs through November 30, with the peak of hurricane season between mid-August and late October. Hurricanes are one of nature's most powerful forces, turning warm ocean water into powerful winds capable of mass destruction. The heavy rains brought by hurricanes not only threaten coastal areas but also lash areas hundreds of miles inland. Hurricanes can cause widespread destruction and devastation when they occur. At All In Credit Union, we care about your personal and financial well-being. As we have learned from past hurricanes and other natural disasters, preparation is an important way to help minimize the negative impact of a hurricane or natural disaster. Advanced planning and preparedness can make a big difference in safety and recovery from a natural disaster.
Know the Difference
Tropical Storm or Hurricane Advisory: The National Weather Service (NWS) issues an Advisory when it expects conditions to cause significant inconveniences that may be hazardous. If caution is used, these situations should not be life-threatening.
Tropical Storm or Hurricane Watch: The National Weather Service (NWS) issues a Watch when a tropical storm or hurricane is possible within 48 hours. Tune in to NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, local radio, TV, or other news sources for more information. Monitor alerts, check your emergency supplies and gather any items you may need if you lose power.
Tropical Storm or Hurricane Warning: The National Weather Service (NWS) issues a Warning when it expects a tropical storm or hurricane within 36 hours. During a Warning, complete your storm preparations, and immediately leave the threatened area if directed to do so by local officials.
Other Important Terms
Eye: Clear, sometimes well-defined center of the storm with calmer conditions.
Eye Wall: Surrounding the eye, contains some of the most severe weather of the storm with the highest wind speed and largest precipitation.
Rain Bands: Bands coming off the cyclone that produce severe weather conditions such as heavy rain, wind and tornadoes.
Storm Surge: An often underestimated and deadly result of ocean water swelling as a result of a landfalling storm, and quickly flooding coastal and sometimes areas further inland.
Prepare Your Financials
In the event a storm is predicted to impact your area, use these helpful tips to ensure you have access to your accounts and your funds before and after the storm. If a disaster strikes, you will need identification and financial documents to begin the recovery process.
- Keep your contact information on file with All In up-to-date so we can reach you if needed.
- Check expiration dates on credit and debit cards.
- Manage and maintain access to your emergency funds in case you need to access them for any reason.
- Enroll in online and mobile banking to have access to your accounts 24/7 anytime, anywhere.
- Be sure to have cash on hand for essentials to weather the storm such as gas, food and water. In the event of power outages, ATMs and businesses may not have the ability to process debit and credit card transactions.
Other Important Possessions and Documents:
Keep these records in a waterproof, portable container:
- Will, insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds
- Passports, social security cards, immunization records
- Bank account information, credit cards, debit cards
- Inventory of valuable household goods, important telephone numbers
- Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)
- Ask your physician or pharmacist about storing prescription medications
Help Us Help You
In the event that you need to evacuate from a storm, you’ll likely end up making purchases outside of your normal shopping habits. This could result in your account being flagged for fraud, which would prompt our system to call the phone number on file, asking you to verify that you made the purchases. Failure to answer this call could result in a hold on your debit or credit card, and that’s the last thing you’ll want to deal with in the midst of a storm! Please ensure that your contact information on file with All In Credit Union is up-to-date so that we can reach you if needed. You may also update your contact information through online banking.
Access Your Account Through Shared Branching
In the event that you find yourself unable to reach an All In Credit Union branch, you can locate numerous Shared Branches available to All In members here. There are over 5,000 shared branches located across the United States, meaning you have direct access to your money from coast to coast at no additional cost to you.
Plan. Prepare. Protect.
There are important steps that people in affected areas need to take to help protect themselves and their families.
Before:
- If you live on the Gulf or Atlantic Coasts, determine if you live in a hurricane evacuation area. If the answer is yes, plan your route — and make a plan for your pets. In the event of an emergency, not all storm shelters can accommodate animals.
- After you leave, where will you go?
- If the storm hit, how would you keep in contact with your family? If someone was separated from the group, where would you all meet? Create a list of emergency contacts.
- Build an emergency plan.
- Build an emergency supply kit: Emergency communication, medical supplies, important documents, tools and safety items, hygiene and sanitation, protective gear and clothing. In the event that you are unable to get to a store, would you have enough food, water, and lighting to get by for at least three days?
- After you know the storm is coming, but before the storm hits, secure your home. Cover all of the windows with storm shutters. Protect your home against potential wind and water damage. Reinforce your home, and clean gutters and drains, trim trees, secure items and doors.
- Are you covered? Assess your home's vulnerability. Check your insurance policies to make sure you have adequate coverage for your home and personal property in the event of a hurricane. Document your property in the event that it is damaged or destroyed.
Tip: DO NOT FORGET TO PLAN AND BUILD A KIT FOR PETS AND ANIMALS!
During:
- Check for updates to get the latest information on the storm and learn how you should respond.
- Follow the instructions of emergency officials, and leave if ordered to.
- If you are not ordered to evacuate, take steps to shelter in place. Don’t forget—if the eyewall of the hurricane passes over you, the following period of calm is not safe to emerge. The other eyewall is coming.
- Allow for enough time to evacuate if you need to leave your home.
- Stay alert for Tornadoes and the “Eye” of the storm.
After:
Just because the storm has passed doesn’t mean that the danger is over.
- Only return home when the proper authorities have given the all-clear.
- When walking or driving around your neighborhood, be on the lookout for places where the roads or walkways may have been eroded by floodwaters or blocked by debris.
- Do not walk or stand in standing water, as it may be electrically charged from nearby downed power lines. If you see any of these downed power lines, contact the power company's emergency number.
- If possible, turn off electricity at the main breaker or the fuse box before entering your home. Contact your local power company or a qualified electrician to help if you are unfamiliar with this process.
- Photograph all damage to your property for insurance purposes before you begin your repairs. If it’s possible to take precautions to prevent further damage (i.e. placing a tarp over a damaged roof) try to do that as soon as possible, as your insurance may not cover damages that occur after the storm.
- If you are using a generator or other gasoline-powered machine at your home, DO NOT allow it to run inside of the building, including your garage. This equipment can generate carbon monoxide, which is deadly. Use this equipment outside, and far away from any windows.
Let Your Friends and Family Know You're Safe
You can bookmark yourself safe on Facebook for loved ones to see.
The Red Cross also offers the Safe and Well website which is a secure and more private option than the “I’m Safe” feature on the Emergency App. It allows people to list their own status and allows friends and family to search for messages from their loved ones. The Safe and Well website is a free public reunification tool that allows individuals and organizations to register and post messages to indicate that they are safe or to search for loved ones. The site is always available and open to the public and available in Spanish. Registrations and searches can be done directly on the website.
Important Numbers
Bookmark Important Resources:
