Best Tips For Hurricane Season: How to Keep Your Family, Your Property & Yourself Safe

By Coggin Security

Moving into the heart of hurricane season along the Atlantic Coast requires preparation and strategic planning. Being informed of the best decisions for your home security services, as well as your loved ones, in the event of a severe weather threat is very important. Thanks to technological advancements, meteorologists are often able to predict when hurricanes and tropical storms will reach a given area — providing time to prepare before they make a land impact. However, the severity of these weather threats is often unknown and frequently fluctuates. Therefore, careful preparation and subsequent planning are critical. Coggin Security technicians share a few of our best tips for hurricane season to keep your home secure during a natural disaster, including recommended safety procedures and protocols.

Preparing Your Home for Severe Weather

In South Carolina, hurricane season spans from the beginning of June through the end of November, peaking between August and September. Investing in home security services can provide peace of mind that your home is protected during inclement weather, including rain, wind, and water that may impact your residential area.

Create a Plan

Before a storm impacts your area, the following steps should be taken to minimize repercussions:

Gather supplies for an easily accessible emergency kit. Include essentials for yourself, your household, and any pets.
Download the FEMA app to receive real-time alerts from the National Weather Service across the nation.
Ensure that your home security system has a backup power source if your power goes out. Coggin Security systems are programmed to run on a backup battery in the event of a power outage.
Identify evacuation routes.
Charge your phone and other devices.
Ensure your business is equipped with a continuity plan to continue functioning smoothly.

To stay informed with tracking alerts or to learn additional information on safety procedures, visit the hurricane preparedness site. Make sure everyone in your household understands and practices your hurricane plans, including evacuation routes, responsibility for family pets, and lodging locations.

Check with neighbors, senior adults, or those who may need additional assistance securing hurricane plans to see how you might be able to help. If you plan to remain home, make sure to take these precautions during the storm. However, if told to evacuate by local officials, do so immediately.

Only share your hurricane plans with your neighbors or family members. Be sure to learn their plans so you can ask them to keep an eye on your home while you are away, or offer to watch theirs. Refrain from posting your evacuation plans on social media, alerting opportunistic burglars that you will be away. If you choose to evacuate, Coggin Security’s Smart Home Security System provides 24/7 surveillance, accessible from any location on any device.

Keep Your Home Safe

Your residential or commercial security system is only as effective as the home monitoring service behind it. That’s why Coggin Security technicians offer the latest in-home monitoring technology. You can have peace of mind knowing that once an alarm sounds, an operator is immediately contacted 24 hours a day, seven days a week year-round.

As a local family-owned and operated company, Coggin Security technicians stay informed and prepared for weather emergencies that may affect our Myrtle Beach community. We know that it can be challenging trying to plan for every contingency, so we are ready to help in any way we can when you need us most. In addition to planning safe arrangements for the members of your household before a storm, it’s a great idea to protect your home and business in the event of an emergency. Here are a few steps we recommend taking:

Consider hurricane shutters or hurricane-proof windows for your home or business, in addition to sturdy doors.
Ensure all doors and windows are tightly shut and locked. Consider boarding up windows for increased safety, at your discretion.
Disconnect all electrical appliances to minimize the risk of an electrical fire.
Create a home inventory of valuable items, should you need to file any damages with insurance after the storm.

If you have evacuated, make sure to follow these safety tips when returning home after officials declare it is safe to do so:

Do not touch electrical equipment that appears wet. If safe to do so, turn off your home’s electricity at the main breaker or fuse box.
After you have exited the home, call 911 and your utility company if you suspect a gas leak.
Document any damages to your home and property with pictures and contact your insurance company.
Clean up debris on and around your home while wearing protective clothing.
Save phone calls for emergencies, as phone systems are often down or busy after a disaster. Instead, use text messages or social media to communicate and let others know you are safe.

Residential & Commercial Security Solutions

Taking extra precautionary measures can ensure your home security system stays up and running throughout severe weather conditions. Make sure to complete security checks at your home or business, in case you experience a power outage post-storm. Protect your home to prevent a break-in from occurring in the event of an emergency evacuation.

We understand that making preparations for severe weather can be overwhelming, and amidst all of the chaos, your Myrtle Beach security system might be the last thing on your mind. Security installation with Coggin Security, Inc. can help you protect what matters most this hurricane season.

We offer the most advanced technology to our local Myrtle Beach community including water and fire sensors and a 24/7 home monitoring system that immediately alerts you of any fires, flooding, or excessive damage to your home. If you have an older home security system, your system may not last during a power outage. Stay protected with or without power and schedule a free consultation with Coggin Security, Inc. technicians in Myrtle Beach today to discuss our state-of-the-art security solutions.