Hurricane Season Is Here: Use These Tips Published June 24, 2008 By 43rd Airlift Wing Legal Office POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- With hurricane season underway, it's important to take a few precautionary measures that will prevent or minimize personal property loss or damage. We recommend the following preventive measures: Ensure your storage shed, trampolines and swing sets are properly anchored and if possible, place sand bags on them or tie them down with ropes. For additional support on trampolines they can be secured by turning them over and placing sand bags on the canvas and support rails. Grills: Propane gas tanks may remain safe from high winds; however, they should be stored with grills in a safe area. Cold briquettes can be easily removed, placed in a plastic bag and stored inside. Charcoal grills should also be stored inside. Motorcycles: You do not have to keep your motorcycle inside your home, but you should find a suitable location to secure it from high winds such as a garage or storage facility. If all else fails, tie it down to keep it from blowing over. Power spikes, surges and outages: If you have high-dollar value electronic items (large screen or plasma televisions, computers, etc.) at no time should they be plugged directly into wall outlets. Invest in a surge protector (not a power strip) that is rated for your electronic items. A surge protector is designed to absorb the power spike/surge and prevent damage to your electronic items. Food spoilage: Once you have lost power it needs to be reported to Picerne Housing Maintenance so the amount of time you are without power can be documented and power can eventually be restored. Refrigerators are large insulated coolers. After the power fails, keep the doors closed as much as possible. When preparing for a disaster, fill the empty spaces with bottles of water which will help with the refrigeration process. A full freezer will keep longer than a half-full one. It is advisable to keep a cooler close by; open the refrigerator once and retrieve everything needed for that day. Place items into the cooler so you aren't opening and closing the refrigerator door repeatedly. Before tossing out any food it is advisable to first check the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service Web Site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov. It has useful information on how long food items can stay safe after power outages. Before throwing away food take pictures of the items, or maintain the packaging or receipts to substantiate any future claims. These are a few examples of steps you can take minimize loss or damage. Each individual must properly assess their own situation and secure their belongings appropriately. If you are an on-base resident, some loss or damage to your property may be reimbursable through the Air Force's claim process. Please also remember off-base resident's claims are not payable, so all off-base residents should ensure their rental insurance and/or homeowner's insurance is accurate and up to date to prevent any unnecessary loss or repair that will be paid out of pocket. Hurricanes are not a regular weather occurrence here at Pope, but they do happen, and you are expected to adequately prepare your property to ride out these storms. Taking the above actions may prevent the loss or damage to your personal property, thereby eliminating the need to file a claim with your insurance company or the Air Force Claims Service Center. Please visit http://www.fema.org for additional tips and information.