- Being prepared plays a major role in dealing with a natural disaster in Kansas
- Kansas frequently suffers from a surprising variety of natural disasters
- Insurance can protect against both losses dealt to both person and property
Visitors and residents alike gain a deep understanding why Kansas is among the most beautiful states in the heartland. The Great Plains of Kansas reflect a beauty unique to the Midwest.
The weather in Kansas, however, doesn’t always provide the perfect climate; in fact, Kansas often finds itself the center of truly frightening natural disasters.
The Wichita Hailstorm of 1992 reigned down hailstones larger than golf balls. Both person and property suffered harm due to the raining down of such massive hail. Kansas’ history reveals even shocking events including earthquakes and invasions of locusts.
Kansas residents are advised to look beyond the history of Kansas’ natural disasters. Recent news reports also reveal dire weather events. New transplants to Kansas might even be completely unaware that the state experiences:
Kansas does have its dangers, but this doesn’t mean people should be inordinately fearful of the weather. Residents do serve themselves well by taking steps to protect against the risks.
A mix of preventive measures, purchasing insurance, and responding effectively could help navigate even the hardest situations.
If you’re looking to safeguard yourself and your car in Kansas, enter your ZIP code above and compare at least three to four policies today!
6 Natural Disasters in Kansas
Learn about all the potential natural disasters capable of impacting Kansas so that you’re prepared. Understanding what may be coming your way improves the chances of responding the right way.
Even something as simple as buying insurance before a weather event cuts puts those at risk for injury or property loss in a less stressful position after a calamity. So, what are the natural disasters Kansas residents must think about?
#6 – Tornadoes
Tornadoes bring with them the potential for enormous devastation. Homes can be leveled to the ground and cars utterly destroyed. Investing heavily in “tornado-proofing” a home could save lives.
Specifically, basements and hallways should be designed to support the most reliable shelter when a tornado hits. Not everyone is home, however, when a tornado strikes.
Drivers caught on the road must seek shelter without delay; abandoning your car may seem like odd advice, but a tornado can overturn a car.
Replacing the vehicle won’t be as much of a problem as suffering significant injuries. Worrying about the car takes second place to worries about life and limb.
#5 – Floods
Images of Kansas and the Great Plains don’t exactly come with perceptions of floods. Kansas, of course, has many rivers and bodies of water throughout the state, and under certain weather conditions, major flooding could occur.
Luckily, flooding can become predictable due to its connection with heavy rainfall in flood-prone areas. Listen to emergency networks and follow all advice to evacuate if given.
And do not drive a car into rising water! The water could flood the engine and transmission making it inoperable and leaving the driver stranded. Two feet of water could even sweep a vehicle away.
#4 – Extreme heat and drought
Droughts may be the polar opposite of floods, but droughts are no less dangerous due to the connection to extreme heat. Staying indoors during heatwaves may be the safest strategy provided the air conditioner is working.
Remaining hydrated at all times and wearing the appropriate clothing further reduces adverse health reactions.
Conserving water during droughts is critical to ensure there is always an adequate supply of water when needed. That’s why local governments warn about wasting water when a drought strikes. Keeping bottled water in the home and a vehicle would be good preparation.
#3 – Earthquakes
Kansas might not be the state most associated with earthquakes, but the risk exists. Residents need to be ready for the arrival of a major earthquake to survive the event.
Generally, when earthquakes occur, stay indoors but away from anything that might fall off walls or shelves.
Of course, heeding any orders to evacuate the region should be followed. Once people are stuck in homes or on roads during an earthquake, escaping might be very difficult. The overall situation could be too dangerous for emergency responders to reach the area.
#2 – Hail storms, severe thunderstorms, and lightning
Kansas City can suffer upwards of 60 thunderstorms per year making it a tough location for those worried about lightning, rain, and hail.
With lightning, people positively must avoid structures known to attract electricity. Remaining outside or inside any weakly-structured shelter during a lightning or hail storm is dangerous.
Property damage may be unavoidable. There’s only so much you can do to protect a house or car’s roof. You can do a lot to protect yourself. Make your safety your primary responsibility during severe storms.
#1 – Blizzards
The dangers associated with a blizzard are enormous. Homes may collapse under the weight of heavy snow. Take that as a good reason to perform safety inspections during summer weather. Double check the condition of rafters and support beams.
Blizzards also come with frigid weather; preparation to deal with extreme cold becomes necessary to prevent a potential fatality.
A home should be fully stocked with food and other supplies when blizzard conditions loom. Be sure the furnace and secondary heating systems are working or else the interior of a home may become uninhabitable.
Taking to the roads during a blizzard is best avoided due to the danger of being stuck for hours in the snow. Even with food, blankets, mobile phones, and a full tank of gas, driving during a blizzard comes with a lot of risks.
Natural disasters are not everyday occurrences. People become lulled into thinking they do not have to worry much about them.
Kansas is a state prone to specific, severe weather events, which means living in Kansas comes with the responsibility of knowing how to deal with natural disasters. Ignoring such responsibility creates added hazards.
4 Tips for General Natural Disaster Safety
One positive thing that comes out of terrible natural disasters is the knowledge gained about dealing with the events. Educating yourself about the steps to take before, during, and after a natural disaster improves safety immensely.
You might even be able to prevent losses by doing the right thing when the weather strikes.
#4 – Listen to your state’s emergency services
The entire purpose behind emergency broadcasting services is to inform the public about the dangers of advancing weather conditions. Emergency services not only warn about weather conditions but provide advice on how to better prepare.
Radio broadcasts present continuous information about weather conditions, which can prove helpful to those wondering when the weather breaks or what the actions they should take.
Access to emergency service alerts requires access to electronic devices. Without a power source, radios, laptops, and mobile phones won’t work.
Installing a secondary power source – a fuel-powered generator, solar-powered backup, and so on – cuts down on the chances of being without both power. Losing power also means losing a source of incoming/outgoing emergency communications.
#3 – Research natural disasters in advance
Being caught off-guard during a natural disaster is bad enough. To be also unaware of what must be done during a natural disaster is even worse.
Taking time to educate yourself about natural disasters could prove to be a wise investment. Kansas residents may find the following research steps valuable:
- Learn about what natural disasters are most common during specific seasons
- Examine the biggest threats to life, limb, and property during an emergency
- Find out where the nearest emergency shelters are located
Knowing the basics about particular natural disasters helps in another way. You can come up with the right plan necessary for dealing with an oncoming hazard. “Winging it” during a disaster can be, well, disastrous.
#2 – Come up with the necessary plan
Planning out what to do when disaster strikes allow you to respond immediately. Scrambling to buy supplies when the snow starts to fall may lead to a trip to a store with bare shelves. Those with plans already scooped up the supplies.
Coming up with a plan isn’t all that tough. A quick trip to YouTube could reveal a ton of videos detailing disaster preparedness. Trying to cram the information on the videos into a couple of days before disaster strikes won’t be enough.
Let all the previous news reports and personal experiences with horrible weather be motivation enough to read up on and devise a plan right away.
Don’t worry too much about spending money on disaster preparation.
Reinforcing windows, stockpiling canned food and bottled water, and purchasing the best emergency services home radio all contribute to addressing a disaster. The various items may also increase safety quite a bit.
#1 – Avoid dangerous areas and/or evacuate
The only thing worse than trying to “stick it out” by staying in a bad location during a natural would be traveling to a location with worse weather. Car fatalities greatly increase during flooding due to the dangers of the vehicle being swept away.
Driving in the direction of a flood means heading into a more dangerous territory and experiencing regrettable results.
All the preparation in the world cannot make a home safe when a natural disaster reaches critical levels.
There comes the point where an evacuation is unavoidable. The authorities make recommendations about when evacuating is prudent. Listening to those recommendations reaches paramount importance.
What kind of auto insurance protects you against these disasters?
Your vehicle might be one of the most important things you own, which is why purchasing the reliable insurance to protect it makes sense.
For natural disasters, claims would be filed against comprehensive insurance coverage; theft, vandalism, arson, and weather incidents are covered under comprehensive insurance.
If a flood ruins your vehicle’s transmission, call the insurance company and make a claim. An investigator will look into the matter. If the claim is approved, a settlement amount is given.
Comprehensive insurance comes with a deductible amount and only pays up to the resale value of the car. Receiving an amount reflecting what the car is worth would be better than personally absorbing the loss.
Other types of insurance coverage help during natural disasters. Collision insurance could pay for losses if road conditions lead you to damaging your car.
Increasing auto liability coverage makes sense since other drivers may not be careful when traveling during heavy rain, snow, or wind.
Just as the internet serves as a fantastic resource for information about disasters and disaster management, online searches reveal excellent sources for auto insurance quotes.
Ask for and carefully read several quotes before picking an insurance provider. Look at the company’s history and financial strength. Check out the discounts available.
Most of all, be sure you are comfortable with the policy since a time may come when you must rely on it.
If you’re not sure that your car is fully protected in case of a natural disaster, enter your ZIP code below and start comparison shopping today to get better insurance!