Remain prepared for disasters big and small, Georgians urged

ATLANTA - Safety officials are offering tips to ensure you and your family are ready for anything, big or small.

Georgia Insurance and Safety Commissioner John King says you can never be over-prepared for a First Alert weather event.

In recent years, Georgia has been spared the brunt of many severe weather events.

“We’ve had so many near misses in Georgia, we’ve been so lucky for so long, I’m afraid that we’re building a lot of complacencies,” King said.

This is why he says now is the time to get this message out as fast as possible.

“What I’m asking people to do is review and look at your documents that aren’t easily replaceable, digitize them, take pictures of them, put them on the cloud, have a backup. It’s important to also have a discussion with your family about if we have to evacuate, this is what we will take, this is where we will go. Make sure your vehicles are prepared with fuel, with batteries, with a radio,” King advises.

However, once the storm has passed, he says if you aren’t careful, you could still find yourself a victim.

“They’re getting these folks, I call them locust, they come in hours after the storm, not even enough time for a community to get their feet on the ground. Once they show up they basically are saying hey we will come and remove the tree and we will file for the insurance company, and of course, they are giving estimates that are way over the standard pricing for the community,” King said.

If you find yourself with a tree on your roof or car, they say it’s best to contact the King’s office at 800-656-2298.

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