Page 14 - South Mississippi Living - June, 2020

COAST NOTE
This story is part of the Embrace the Gulf 2020 campaign, which aims to highlight the value and vitality of the Gulf Coast Region through daily posts. Join the movement by following the Alliance on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
14 | June 2020 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
story and photo courtesy of
Gulf of Mexico Alliance
Designed speci cally for homeowners, the
Homeowners Handbook to Prepare for Natural Disasters is a critical resource for anyone wanting to reduce the risks to both their family and property from the threats of natural hazards. This handbook covers basic information on emergency preparedness, evacuation planning, ood/wind insurance, and steps to take to protect your property.
We all know Mother Nature can be intense and devastating. While there may be many reasons to put o hazard preparation, your family and home deserve protection that only you can provide. If you live or recreate near the coast, you need to be aware of
the threat of coastal natural hazards, such as hurricanes and ooding, as well as the additional threat of tornadoes. While it
is not possible to eliminate all risk from natural hazards, there are many small and
cost-e ective steps you can take to reduce your risk, be prepared, and increase your resilience.
Purchasing a home is one of the major milestones in life and is typically your largest investment. While providing you and your family protection from the elements, a home also holds all your worldly possessions, whether you rent or own. The resources, recommendations, and advice in this handbook come from leading organizations in the elds of preparedness, recovery, and
Gulf of Mexico Alliance
1151 Robinson St., Ocean Springs www.gulfofmexicoalliance.org
construction. This information is brought together in one place to provide you with the tools needed to help you strengthen your home and prepare for and recover from disasters. This will allow you to take action and reduce the risk of experiencing loss or damage from a natural disaster and learn what to do if you do have damage after a disaster. Are you prepared?
The Homeowners Handbook is brought to you by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA), a partnership of federal, state and local organizations that share a vision for healthy and resilience communities.
A key priority of GOMA is to increase
the resilience of coastal communities to natural hazards. There are ve handbooks, one speci c to each of the Gulf states, developed along with Sea Grant and other partners in those states.