Building a “Bug Out Bag” for Homeowner Safety

Oct 16, 2019, 2:53 PM

Handling risk. That’s what we do, and it’s in fact the entire purpose of insurance: risk management. If something goes wrong you want reassurance that someone is there to support you, and get your business, home, or farm back up and running as soon as possible. Working with an independent insurance agent to get the right type and amount of coverage is one of the best ways to be prepared against a disaster.

Another way to be prepared is with an emergency kit. Online, it has plenty of names, like “bug out bag” or “72-hour kit” (72 hours is 3 days). No matter what you call it, an emergency kit has enough supplies to support yourself, your family, and your pets if there’s a natural disaster, power outage, or other situation. It doesn’t take much to put a kit together. Here’s a few key items.

• A basic set of tools: wrench, pliers, hammer, screwdrivers
• Clothes and blankets
• First aid kit
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Food
• Important documents like identification and insurance policies
• Local maps — on paper!
• Moist towelettes
• Necessary medications
• Paper and pencils/pens
• Plastic garbage bags
• Water: 1 gallon per person per day

That’s the “stuff” to gather together. You also want to have contact information. There’s 911, of course, and the phone numbers or emails of everyone in the office (for a business). You also need to know your usernames and passwords: even if you can get a computer up and running, it won’t be useful if there’s no way to access the information.

Once you collect all your materials, don’t forget to make sure you have a “get out” plan in place.

• Teach everyone how to shut off the utilities (water, heat, etc.) before leaving the home.
• Decide on meeting places outside the house in case you’re separated.
• Use another family member or friend who lives out of state as a contact, so everyone can reach that person to let him or her know they’re OK.

If you do need to leave home, do what you can to have a home to come back to. We offer several options for Hastings Mutual Homeowners insurance:

• Coverage Plus: This features a variety of coverages related to emergencies, including losses from landslides or underground water that causes a collapse, backup of sewers or drains, or even evacuation ordered by government officials.
• Waiver of Deductible Credit: If there’s no emergency and no need to use your insurance, we’ll decrease your deducible for each year you don’t need to file a claim with us.

Talk to your independent insurance agent about the homeowners coverage that will keep you and your family protected. 

The Mutual Understanding blog and Hastings Mutual videos are made available for educational purposes only. The information referred to is not an official company statement, corporate policy, or offer of coverage. Refer to your insurance policy for specific coverage. There is no representation as to the accuracy or completeness of any information found by following any link on this site. Please contact your local independent insurance agent with further questions and for more details on any insurance policy-related information you read here.

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