Given that floods account for the largest los from a natural disaster, it’s always a good idea to safeguard your home from this kind of nature’s fury! Don’t wait until it starts to rain to protect your home and family from a flood. If you live in a flood-prone area, don’t assume you’re covered. A flood can be devastating, but flood insurance is affordable. Ask us about coverage for your home and property if you’re hit by a flood. 941-745-8300

Disability insurance is designed to replace a portion of your income if you’re out of work as a result of illness or an accident. A disability could destroy your lifestyl. Would you be able to meet your obligations if your paycheck stopped? Your savings may be enough to pay your short term needs, but what if you weren’t able to return to work for months, or longer? Talk to us about disability protection today! 941-745-8300

College facilities can be an open season for burglaries, even at the best schools. From missing jewelry, to lost laptops, spare yourself the added worry of replacing these valuables. You can simply extend your homeowners policy to cover replacement costs of those items your student can’t live without.

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Jeff Atwater, met with local insurance agents at Boyd Insurance on June 23rd to discuss the issues important to our local agents. He also discussed the insurance market in Florida from his perspective.

June 1st marks the first day of hurricane season. Now is the time to make sure you are prepared for a storm with a hurricane kit. Do not wait a storm is already closing in because the stores are bound to run out of vital supplies.

Click here to download a printable version.

Hurricane Kit Checklist
These items are suggested but are not necessarily all-inclusive of everything your family needs to prepare for a hurricane or other severe storm situation.

General Items:
 Flashlight(s)
 Extra batteries
 Manual can opener
 Sterno, small grill or campstove
 Fire extinguisher(s)
 Extra prescription medications
 Paper plates/plastic utensils
 Snack foods
 Tarpaulins
 Garbage bags
 Disposable diapers and wipes for baby
 Mosquito repellent
 Portable radio(s)
 Lantern
 Wooden kitchen matches in plastic container
 Duct tape
 100 feet of rope or heavy cord
 Address book with important phone numbers
 Toilet tissue and paper towels
 Pet food and cat litter for pets
 Bleach for cleaning and for purifying water (eight drops per gallon)
 Blankets/Pillows
 Battery operated radio (with extra batteries)
 Telephones – Fully charged cell phone with extra battery and a traditional (not cordless) telephone set
 Cash (with some small bills) and Credit Cards – Banks and ATMs may not be available for extended periods
 Keys
 Toys, Books and Games
 Important documents – in a waterproof container or watertight re-sealable plastic bag
— insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc
 Tools – keep a set with you during the storm
 Vehicle fuel tanks filled

First Aid Kit:
 Sterile adhesive bandages, gauze pads & rolls
 Scissors
 Hydrogen peroxide
 Aspirin antacid tablets
 Snake bite kit
 Hypoallergenic adhesive tape
 Tweezers
 Antiseptic spray
 Ointments for burn and cuts
 Latex gloves

Nonperishable Food Items (replace every six months):
 Bottled water(1-3 gallons per person per day)
 Powdered or evaporated milk
 Powdered drink mixes and soda
 Canned meats, fish, fruits, vegetables and soups
 Instant coffee, tea and cocoa
 Prepackaged snacks

Pet care items (if applicable)
— proper identification / immunization records / medications
— ample supply of food and water
— a carrier or cage
— muzzle and leash

Car owners and drivers should always carry a emergency car kit inside the vehicle. This kit should contain useful tools and devices that could help you in case of accidents and emergency situations. Some of the things that should be included in the car’s emergency kit are:

 

 First aid Kit

Antiseptic

Bandages

First aid manual

Pain relievers

Alcohol prep pads

Micropore tape

 

Tools

Multi-purpose knife

Shovel

 

Other Essentials

Jumper Cables

Air pump and tire gauge

Compass

Road maps

Flashlight

Poncho

Small fire extinguisher

Lightsticks (last for 12 hours and are safe for children. They are visible up to one mile away, and they are non-toxic and non-flammable.)

Tissues

Toilet paper

Safety pins

Ace bandages

Friday, April 8^th, 2011 – Part 5

This is the last topic in our five-part series on hurricane season preparedness and your homeowners policy. And this final topic is one of the most important and misunderstood portions of most policies.

Flood:  First, we’d like to remind you that your homeowners policy does NOT cover flood. Should a storm occur and your property becomes flooded, in order for you to have coverage you must have a separate flood policy.  This is often misunderstood. If you have questions about your policy, or if you’d like to add a flood policy to your property, please call us today at 941-745-8300.

Thursday, April 7^th, 2011 – Part 4

Today is the fourth in our series of five topics regarding hurricane season and your homeowners policy. The topic for today is Screen Enclosures.

Screen Enclosures:  Screen enclosures are covered under your policy for most perils, but not for hurricanes. However, it is possible to “buy back” coverage for a hurricane event. Please check with one of our agents if you’re interested in adding this coverage.

Call us today at 941-745-8300.

Wednesday, April 6^th, 2011 – Part 3

Happy Hump Day! This work week is halfway over and that means we are halfway through our series on hurricane season preparedness for your homeowners insurance policy.

This is our third topic in our series of five topics to review in your homeowner’s policy. Today we are discussing deductibles.

Deductibles:  Your homeowners policy has two deductibles, one for “all other perils” and one for hurricanes.  Before hurricane season gets any closer, call us today to find out what the difference in each coverage means, and how they apply.

Call us today at 941-745-8300.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 – Part 2

Today we are continuing our coverage on hurricane season preparedness by discussing the meaning of “replacement cost” within your homeowner’s insurance policy. 

Replacement Cost: The difference between the replacement cost of your home and its market value can make this area of your policy confusing.

With today’s depressed market values, it is extremely important that your Homeowners Coverage limit is insured for 100% of the replacement value of your home. Meaning, the coverage needs to reflect the actual cost to rebuild your home, not what the selling price would be.

One of our agents can help assist you by performing a Cost Replacement Estimation to make sure your home is properly insured for the correct amount of coverage.  Call us today for more information. 941-745-8300.