Every farm and ranch should have an emergency plan for the impact of a hurricane. It’s important to prepare to be self sufficient for a more than a week. The following are ideas that may prove helpful as a checklist to prepare ahead of a major storm.
Resource People
Have a good list of current contact information for important people. Make sure you have current phone numbers for:
- Extended family
- Employees and their families
- Veterinarian
- Neighbors
- Insurance provider
- Utility Company
- County Extension Offices
Loss of Power
- Order fuel to top off farm fuel tanks for tractors and equipment
- Fill farm and family vehicles with gas
- Purchase batteries for flashlights and lanterns. Have enough flashlights ready for each employee.
- Stock up on feed for animals receiving supplemental feeds, and any pets as well. Have enough hay, feed and health care supplies on hand for 1-2 weeks.
- Move animals to pastures with ponds so well filled water troughs are not the only source of water.
- Dairy farms should have enough generator power so that cows can be milked each day.
- For operations that rely on electric fencing, have a generator ready to keep the fence hot, or at least move animals to interior pastures so they have multiple fences to help keep them in.
Prepare for High Winds
- Make sure chainsaws are in good working order and stock up on mixed fuel.
- Locate chains and come-a-long
for limb and tree movement off of fences and buildings. - Stock up on fence repair materials: wire, posts, and staples for repairing fences damaged by limbs and trees.
- Move animals to interior pastures so there are multiple fences between animals and the highway or neighbors.
- Identify cattle and horses so that if they do wander out of your property, you can be notified of their whereabouts. Do not include Coggins number on any identification, because that would allow the animal to be sold at auction.
- Pick up debris that might become high-wind hazards. Strap down feeders, trailers and other items that might blow around and injure animals or cause damage to facilities.
Flooding
- Move tractors, equipment, hay, or other stored items to highest ground.
- Move animals out of low lying pastures, or at least tie the gates open so they can move to higher ground if need be.
- Make sure drainage ditches are clean without blockage
Clean Up and Damage Assessment
- Beware of downed power lines.
- Contact insurance agencies as soon as possible after the storm passes for buildings that are insured.
- Report major damage to the local Farm Service Agency within 15 days of the storm to be eligible for federal disaster aid.
- Document damage and repair expenses. Photographs of damages and receipts for services and materials will be very important when applying for insurance claims and federal disaster aid. Any purchased feed, supplies or veterinary expenses related to storm damage should be recorded as well.
Did you Know?
We offer a wide variety of insurance products to include Home, Auto, Life, Annuities, Motorcycle, RV, ATV, Boat, Small Business, Rental, Umbrella, and Equine Mortality/Major Medical coverage.
Galvin Agency is here to help you with insurance questions, needs, and claims. We are here to assist you and our job is to make sure you feel protected and knowledgeable. Thank you for your business and we look forward to talking with you soon!
No person associated with this news letter receives any form of compensation for any products mentioned, nor should any mention of a particular product be considered an endorsement of that product. This newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be considered authoritative on any topic. Please seek advice from an appropriate professional on any specific issue.
