Disaster Planning -- Are You "Ready for Whatever Happens?"

GALLATIN, TN--(Marketwire - Sep 18, 2012) - According to SERVPRO^®, a national disaster clean-up leader, Hurricane Isaac was a recent, powerful reminder about the importance of disaster preparedness -- not only for those in the path of the storm, but for homeowners everywhere.

"Natural disasters come in different forms, depending on where you live," said Rick Isaacson, Executive Vice President of Servpro Industries, Inc. "For some, tornados pose a threat. For others, it's drenching rain, high winds, flash flooding, lightning strikes, snow and ice, or even out-of-control brush fires. The one thing all of these extraordinary events have in common is that they can strike with little warning and can turn your life upside down."

Each year the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designates September as National Preparedness Month. SERVPRO^®, as a coalition member of FEMA's Ready Campaign, says that this is the perfect time to take some simple steps to help weather a sudden emergency. SERVPRO^® Franchisees are trained professionals in helping homeowners prepare for natural disasters, cope with the immediate aftermath and then put a plan in place to restore their properties.

Isaacson says, one important disaster readiness step all families can take is to build a basic emergency supply kit, stocked with necessities to keep each family member (and pet) supplied with water, food and required medications for at least three days. A basic "Readiness Kit" would include:

• Water (one gallon/person per day)
• Three day non-perishable food supply
• Manual can opener
• Battery-operated radio, preferably a NOAA weather radio
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle (to signal for help)
• Dust masks or bandanas
• Local maps
• Important documents, such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account information
• Matches (in a waterproof container)

"Of course, your family members may not all be at home when disaster strikes," said Isaacson, "so another key component of your readiness planning is to set a place to meet and a plan for contacting each other. Taking the time to prepare and plan now can make all the difference in the first few stressful hours after disaster strikes."

SERVPRO^® Franchisees specialize in disaster restoration, cleanup and repair services, helping to remediate damage, making it "Like it never even happened," for both commercial and residential customers. Local SERVPRO^® professionals offer free readiness resources including emergency supply checklists and tips on emergency planning. SERVPRO also offers a free Ready Plan Mobile Application, available on all smartphones. For more information about the App, visit www.servpro.com/ready

For more information on disaster preparedness, please visit the FEMA website at www.ready.gov. For more information about SERVPRO^®, please visit www.SERVPRO.com

About SERVPRO^®
Founded in 1967, the SERVPRO^® Franchise System is a national leader and provider of fire and water cleanup and restoration services and mold mitigation and remediation. SERVPRO's professional services network of more than 1,600 individually owned and operated Franchises responds to property damage emergencies ranging from small individual disasters to multi-million dollar large-loss situations. Providing coverage in the United States and Canada, the SERVPRO^® System has established relationships with major insurance companies and commercial clients, as well as individual homeowners.