With hurricane season gearing up we at Xpeditr Inc. want to ensure our clients are educated, prepared and equipped to protect themselves and their wine collections from damage. With some advanced planning before storms hit, everyone and every bottle have a better chance!
Tip #1 Plan Ahead
The worst time to develop a plan is when an emergency is imminent. Take the time to plan ahead to keep your family, home and precious wine collection safe! First, determine your evacuation threshold, the point at which you and your family will voluntarily evacuate your home for shelter and safety. Sometimes mandatory evacuations will be dictated by Emergency Services, but you don’t need to wait; know when you are most comfortable leaving for safer shelter, where you will go, and how you will get there. Now, do the same for your precious wine collection! Get some professional advice from XERT – Xpeditr’s Emergency Response Team, and have a plan for safe storage or evacuation of your liquid treasures.
Tip #2 Update Your Wine Inventory
Even if you are religious about updating your wine inventory, do a full review before hurricane season starts to ensure you have an up to date record of every bottle, it’s location and ideal storage requirements for ageing. Save your inventory electronically, but also print out copies to have on hand in case the power goes out and you are unable to access your electronic records.
Tip #3 Review Your Insurance Policies
Review your home and wine insurance policies, know your policy identification number(s), and emergency contact information. Many home insurance policies have limited coverage for damage to wine collections and it is advisable to protect your investment and purchase wine insurance that fits your specific needs. These policies provide extended coverage to specifically address the different types of damage that might affect a wine collection. If you’re unsure of where to start, check out our Wine Insurance Checklist!
Tip #4 Identify Your Safe Zones
Identify the areas of your home that will be your safe zones during the worst of the storm. These are usually interior rooms of your home, on a lower level, with minimal or no windows. Your safe zones will be crucial in an emergency, and your family should know where they need to go to be safe and secure. Your safe zone should have your emergency kit, important documents, and personal valuables (space permitting).
Tip #5 Get Your Emergency Supplies
Gather all emergency items in one tote that can be easily accessed from your safe zone, and ensure you have the basics:
- first aid kit
- non-perishable food and water for at least 3 days
- small toolkit
- batteries
- portable radio and flashlights
- extra clothing and blankets for each person
- prescription medicine for every family member (as needed)
- copies of important personal documents and insurance policies
- map of the local area and evacuation plan
The Xpeditr team is available to help you with your wine storage and emergency wine transportation needs, just contact us. But, above all – be prepared and be safe!
