Millions of Americans end up in the path of a hurricane every year. Lives and property are threatened not just by wind, but by storm surge as well. And by scammers and unethical contractors.<\/p>\n
Here are some tips to help consumers protect themselves from the storm and possible opportunists, bad deals and con-artists:<\/p>\n
Take photos:<\/strong>\u00a0Here\u2019s a good idea for all homeowners anytime, but especially those bracing for a storm: Take photos and videos now of your home and belongings, if you can do it safely, so you can better document any losses.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Protect your pets:<\/strong>\u00a0People forced to evacuate need to know if hotels or shelters will take their pets.\u00a0Pets Welcome<\/a>\u00a0is a good resource for that information for\u00a0shelters<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0hotels<\/a>. Additionally, many hotels relax their pet policies and waive pet fees during a natural disaster. Call ahead to find out. If people do have to leave their pets behind,\u00a0PETA recommends<\/a>\u00a0leaving at least 10 days\u2019 worth of food and water. Bring Fido offers these\u00a0additional tips<\/a>\u00a0to keep your dog safe during a\u00a0hurricane<\/a>\u00a0or other\u00a0emergency<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Disconnect your appliances and electronics.<\/strong> And turn off the gas and electric service. You can also turn off your water after you fill jugs or containers with drinking water, and fill the bathtub with water to flush toilets, in case you return and you've lost your water service.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n If you don't shut off your power,\u00a0use this trick<\/strong> to find out whether you lost it: This is something that's good to do anytime, but especially if you're leaving your home or apartment for an extended period, even on vacation. Take a plastic bottle or something with a leak-proof lid, and fill it halfway with water. Tip it over on its side and put it in the freezer. Once it's frozen, put it upright in your freezer. If you come home after being away and think you might have lost electricity, look to see whether the water in the bottle is still frozen on the side, or whether it's at the bottom of the bottle. If it's the latter, it means you lost power for an extended period and you should assume just about everything in your refrigerator and freezer needs to be discarded.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Watch out for fraud and scams:<\/strong>\u00a0After past disasters, con artists have posed as federal employees, insurance agents and housing inspectors to steal information and money.\u00a0Fake flood robocalls have promised victims money for simple information.<\/a>\u00a0 Be on guard for price gouging: <\/strong>37\u00a0states have anti-price gouging laws that protect consumers from prices that are inflated after an emergency is declared. If a business is hiking prices for gas, water, building supplies, food, ice or other needs, people should report it to their state attorney general\u2019s office immediately. Here's how to report price gouging<\/a> to the attorneys general in every state.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Make sure your food is safe:<\/strong>\u00a0Hurricanes carry a lot of dangerous bacteria that can contaminate food or food preparation materials. Watch out for identity theft:<\/strong>\u00a0Identity theft can compound your problems after a hurricane. Storm victims are particularly vulnerable.\u00a0U.S. law allows anyone to freeze their credit files at no cost.\u00a0People can\u00a0find out more here about how to protect<\/a>\u00a0themselves from identity theft.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Avoid scammers posing as charities:<\/strong>\u00a0Con-artists will try to take advantage of someone else's misfortune and people's big hearts by soliciting donations that won't really go to help disaster victims after all. Check out this\u00a0guide<\/a>\u00a0from the Federal Trade Commission on donating wisely and avoiding ripoffs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Get estimates:<\/strong>\u00a0If possible, get multiple estimates from contractors to help you file a claim that will be accurate when it\u2019s time to pay the bill.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n File claims quickly:<\/strong>\u00a0Report your claim as soon as possible because insurance companies generally process claims first come, first served, according to the Consumer Federation of America. Also, insurers should not raise your rate for filing a hurricane claim or fail to renew your policy for filing one, CFA said. Make detailed lists of losses, including living expenses and debris removal, and keep all receipts.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Vet contractors:<\/strong>\u00a0Homeowners should use only licensed contractors with verifiable references to work on their property. When interviewing contractors, homeowners should ask for proof of their insurance and bonding, and about their past experience repairing damage from flooding or other disasters and their mold remediation practices. Each state has a Board of Contractors that offers a full list of licensed contractors. Homeowners can also get\u00a0advice from FEMA.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Use generators with extreme caution:<\/strong>\u00a0When the power is knocked out, portable generators can be important for powering refrigerators, medical devices and other needs in the home. But, if not operated properly,\u00a0portable generators are extremely dangerous<\/a>\u00a0to people and pets. Portable generators emit carbon monoxide, a gas that can be a silent killer. The odorless, colorless and tasteless gas causes\u00a0\u201cflu-like\u201d symptoms<\/a>\u00a0and can cause loss of consciousness. The\u00a0U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission<\/a>\u00a0(CPSC) estimates that 70 people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning associated with portable generators.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/body><\/html>","":null}}]},"yoast_head":"\n
\n* People can take several steps to protect themselves:
\n* Ask for appropriate identification.
\n* Don\u2019t give out personal information such as Social Security numbers, bank account information, policy numbers or anything else to someone you didn\u2019t contact independently.
\n* Remember FEMA doesn't charge anyone to submit an application.
\n* Don\u2019t give anyone a large deposit or down payment before they provide their goods or services.
\n* And don't pay in cash or with a wire transfer or gift card.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\n* The basic rule is if food has touched the flood waters, even if it\u2019s still in the packaging, it should be thrown out. Discard any containers with visible damage. Some undamaged food may be salvageable, if it didn\u2019t require refrigeration.
\n* Use bottled water until local authorities have confirmed the local water supply is safe.
\n* And completely disinfect all food preparation surfaces, utensils, baby bottles, cutting boards, etc.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n