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Other Disasters (Terrorism, Nuclear, Chemical, Technological, and Disease Pandemic) Resource Page

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Nuclear power plant failures; biological, chemical, and radiological weapon attacks; widespread illness; and terrorism are all unfortunately familiar threats to Americans. There have been advances in early warning technology and protective measures, but information and preparedness are also essential to responding to and recovering from any threat.  

Before the Disaster: Insurance Tips | General Tips | Evacuation Tips | After the Disaster: General Tips | Insurance Tips | Repairing Your Home

Current Conditions, Information, and Resources

Before the Disaster

Insurance Tips   

  • Keep an inventory. Fill out TDI's target="_self" title="Home Inventory Checklist">Home Inventory Checklist (PDF) that you can print or save to a disk and keep somewhere secure. Consider e-mailing it to yourself to ensure you'll have it wherever you are. Also take photos or videotape of each room and the exterior of your home to keep with your inventory.
  • Gather important documents and insurance cards and policies. Unless they are stored in a safe place, take health insurance cards; auto and home insurance policies; and an inventory of your possessions, including receipts and photos or videos.
  • Know what your policy covers. Make certain your homeowners or commercial property coverage is still in force and that it provides adequate coverage to pay the full replacement cost of your property. Check your auto policy to see if you have comprehensive coverage "other than collision." Comprehensive coverage pays if a storm, fire, or flood damages your car. Find out how much coverage you have for "additional living expenses" to cover lodging, food, and other expenses if you're forced to vacate your residence after suffering a covered loss.
  • Know your policy limits. Contact your agent and check the limits of your policies. For homeowners policies, ask about limits for contents and buildings. Your limits may be too low if replacement costs have risen because of new additions, improvements, or inflation.
  • Review your health coverage. Find out if you'll be able to receive non-emergency care from out-of-network providers, if needed, without accruing additional out-of-pocket costs.
  • Consider renters insurance if you don't have it. A landlord's insurance policy usually covers the house or building, but not the personal property of the building's tenants. If you rent an apartment, duplex, house, or townhouse, you may need renters insurance to protect your belongings.
  • Consider business interruption coverage. Business interruption coverage compensates you for lost income and certain operating expenses if you are forced to vacate your business because of a loss covered in your policy.
  • Consider alternative storing methods for company files. Important documents can be scanned and stored in a safe location. Also consider taking photos of office equipment and furniture. 

General Tips    

  • Buy emergency repair items: masking tape, lumber, plastic sheeting, sandbags and sand. Keep all receipts for insurance or tax purposes. Use the plastic for doors, windows, and vents for the room in which you will shelter in place. To save critical time during an emergency, pre-measure and cut the plastic sheeting for each opening.
  • Consider installing a HEPA filter in your furnace return duct. These filters will filter out most biological agents that may enter your house. If you do not have a central heating or cooling system, a stand-alone portable HEPA filter can be used.
  • Ensure your required or suggested immunizations are up to date. Children and older adults are particularly vulnerable to biological agents and various diseases.
  • Know what hazardous materials are in your community and what you can do to safeguard yourself. Many communities have Local Emergency Planning Committees who's job this is.
  • Keep emergency phone numbers handy.
  • Prepare for being away from home. Assemble a disaster kit that you can grab in a hurry. Include the following in the kit:
    • Water: Pack enough bottled water for every person to have one gallon of water for three days.
    • Food: Non-perishable foods, canned goods, can opener, and utensils.
    • Extra clothing: Clothes, shoes, and blankets
    • First aid kit: Gloves, gauze, soap, hand sanitizer, antibiotic ointment, bandages, pain relievers, thermometer, and tape.
    • Medications: Prescriptions, eye glasses and hearing aids, and items for dentures, and contact lenses. Pack prescriptions in their original containers. Ask your doctor about storing medications.
    • Emergency items: Battery-powered radio, flashlights, extra batteries, cash and change, a whistle, shovel, basic tools, baby wipes, garbage bags, toilet paper, and a state map.
    • Baby items: Formula, diapers, bottles, powdered milk, medications, baby wipes and diaper rash ointment.
    • Personal hygiene supplies: Soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, and cleaning cloths
    • Pet supplies: Medical records, medications, ID tags or microchips, current photos, leash and carrier, three-day supply of food and water, can opener, pet beds and toys, paper towels and plastic bags, and a list of hotels that accept pets.
    • Important documents: Insurance cards and policies, copies of prescriptions or unfilled written prescriptions, list of all medications, wills, contracts deeds, stocks and bonds, passports, drivers license or other identification, Social Security cards, bank account and credit card numbers, home inventory, important telephone numbers, and family records (birth and marriage certificates).
  • Be prepared to be without your usual conveniences and services. Know how to cope without electricity, telephones, gas and gas pumps, cash registers, ATMs, and the Internet.
  • Be aware of your surroundings. Move or change locations if you are uncomfortable or if something doesn't feel right.
  • Be cautious when traveling. Be ware of odd or unusual behavior. Do not accept packages from strangers. Don't leave baggage unattended. Prompt unusual behavior, unattended baggage or strand devices to security personnel.
  • Have an exit strategy. Know more than one exit out of every building.
  • Find fallout shelters in your area in the case of a nuclear attack. If there aren't any, make your own list of shelters near your home, work, and school. Ideal places are basements or windowless areas on middle floors in buildings.
  • Be wary of suspicious packages and letters. They can contain explosives, chemical or biological agents. Be wary if letters or packages:
    • Are unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you.
    • Have no return address, or have on that can’t be verified as legitimate.
    • Have inappropriate or unusual labeling.
    • Have excessive postage or packaging material, such as masking tape and string.
    • Have misspellings of common words.
    • Are addressed to someone no longer with your organization or are otherwise outdated.
    • Have hand-written or poorly typed addresses.

Evacuation Tips   

  • Monitor news reports.
  • Work out a way for family members to communicate if you are separated. Remember that in a severe storm, local phone service may be disrupted. Ask a friend or relative who lives outside your immediate area to serve as a point of contact.
  • Make other arrangements for your pets' safety. If you must seek shelter in a community shelter, understand that you might not be able to keep your pets with you. Contact your local humane society for information about animal shelters.
  • Plan your escape route early. Check with the Red Cross or other authorities for location of the nearest shelter. Monitor storm reports. Consider crowded roadways and possible flooding in deciding your route and departure time.
  • If you are leaving your home, lock and secure the premises. Take small valuables and important documents with you.
  • Beware of fire hazards as you prepare your vehicle to leave. Obey all restrictions regarding smoking and the use of open flame. Always extinguish smoking material in a safe method and location. Avoid spills and ignition sources when transferring gasoline from one container to another.
  • Exercise fire safety when you're at a temporary location. Restrict the use of candles and alternate or portable methods for cooking to well ventilated areas. Keep combustible materials (especially paper and cardboard boxes) away from open flames, space heaters and other electrical devices. Keep electrical circuits from overloading by limiting the number of electrical devices plugged into outlets. When staying in hotels and motels make sure the smoke detector is working.
  • Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Never use generators, grills, camp stoves, or other gasoline, propane, natural gas, or charcoal-burning devices inside your home, basement, garage, or camper—or even outside near an open window.

After the Disaster

General Tips   

  • Return when authorities have said it's safe to do so. Continue listening to the radio for emergency updates and news reports. Listen for messages about the delivery of medical services and the public health protocols and medical protocols for handling exposure to various agents.
  • Turn flashlights on before you enter your home to avoid sparks that could cause a fire or explosion if there's a gas leak. Do not smoke or use oil, gas lanterns, candles, or torches for lighting inside a damaged home until you are sure there is no leaking gas or other flammable materials present.
  • Seek medical assistance if exposed to a chemical, after taking necessary precautions. Remove all clothing. Cut clothing to avoid removing over the head and exposing your eyes, nose, and mouth to chemicals. Remove eyeglasses and contacts. Wash hand and body, and put contaminated clothes in a sealed plastic bag.
  • Stay away from damaged areas. Radiation cannot be seen, smelled, or otherwise detected by human senses.
  • Clean up household chemical spills. Disinfect items that may have been contaminated by raw sewage, bacteria, or chemicals. Also clean salvageable items.
  • Be wary of refrigerator contents. Electricity may be restored but it might have been off long enough to ruin the contents of your refrigerator or freezer.

Insurance Tips   

  • Contact your insurance agent or company promptly. Keep a record of all contacts you have with your company.  Be prepared to answer questions about the extent and severity of the damage.
  • If your home is not insured, contact your local Red Cross or FEMA Disaster Recovery Center for assistance. Disaster assistance is money or direct assistance to individuals, families, and businesses. It is meant to help you with critical expenses that cannot be covered in other ways. Call FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
  • Make a list of your damaged property. Photograph or videotape the damage if possible. Refer to your policy to determine the amount of  personal property coverage you have. Don't throw away damaged items until your insurance adjuster has had a chance to view them.
  • Make necessary repairs to protect your home and property from further damage. If there is partial damage to your home, take reasonable and necessary repairs to protect your home and property from further damage. Cover broken windows and holes to keep rain out. Don't make permanent repairs until instructed by your insurance company. Keep a record of your repair expenses and save all receipts.
  • Know if you have replacement cost or actual cash value coverage. Replacement cost is what you would pay to rebuild or repair your home, based on current construction costs. Actual cash value is based on the replacement cost of the dwelling minus a deduction for depreciation. With replacement cost coverage, the company will pay you the actual cash value initially and after repairs are complete, will pay the remaining amount owed on the claim. If you have replacement cost coverage for personal property when your loss occurs, your loss will be paid on an actual cash value basis until the property is repaired or replaced.
  • Ask your agent about additional living expenses (ALE) or loss of use. ALE may provide coverage for some of the expenses you incur if you are unable to live in your home because of damage from a covered peril. Most policies pay up to 20 percent of you home's insured value. Provide your insurance company with documentation regarding your expenses. Keep your receipts. When possible, the documentation should include the vendor, date, and amount. Remember that different insurance policies may have different coverages, limits, and procedures for reimbursement.
  • Refer to your policy to know what deductible you'll be required to pay. Most homeowners policies contain two deductibles: one for windstorm and hail losses, and one for all other losses.
  • If you hire a public insurance adjuster, make sure the public adjuster is licensed by TDI. Public insurance adjusters work independently and charge a fee for their services. Public insurance adjusters must disclose their fees in the written contract with you. To learn whether a public insurance adjuster is licensed, call TDI.

   Repairing Your Home   

  • Try to be present when the insurance company's adjuster inspects your damage. Be sure your address is visible. If damage forces you to move, leave a note or a plywood sign with your temporary address, phone number and name of your insurance company.
  • Resolving your claim. Your insurance company must acknowledge that it has begun an investigation within 15 days of receiving your claim. The company may request additional information to settle your claim. Once it has that information, the company must accept or reject your claim within 15 business days or tell you why it needs more time. If the Commissioner of Insurance designates the event as a major catastrophe, the claim handling deadlines are extended for an additional 15 days. Once a settlement is reached, the company has five business days to mail you a check. If you do not receive your payment promptly, call your agent.
  • Work with reputable contractors. Ask contractors for references and verify them. Contact your Better Business Bureau, local police, or chamber of commerce for information. Insist on an itemized contract in writing and pay only as work is completed. The Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act prohibits price gouging once the governor has declared an area a disaster area. Call the Office of the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hot Line, 1-800-337-3928, if you suspect price gouging or any other deceptive business practice.

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Last updated: 03/21/2012



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