Protect yourself, your home and your business during a hurricane

Canadian Insurer RSA offers advice and tips

TORONTO, Sept. 3 /CNW/ - With Hurricane Earl expected to rock Canada's East Coast this weekend, RSA Canada, one of the country's leading home, car and business insurers, encourages residents to take the following precautions to protect their homes and families:

It's most important that you protect yourself and your family first:

• Remain indoors, avoiding windows, skylights and glass doors
• Listen to radio reports, and follow instructions. If you are told to evacuate, follow the recommended path and don't take shortcuts.
  
• If you have access to a cell phone, call your family members to tell them your whereabouts. Leave your cell phone turned on so that people can reach you.
  
• Put together a disaster safety kit, which should include a carry case for your pet and appropriate supplies.
  
• If you lose power, turn off your appliances to avoid a power surge when the power is restored
• Do not drive on flooded roads
  
• Ensure that your property is clear of any toys, lawn or gardening tools
• Ensure that the doors of your garden or tool shed are closed and secured
• Put your vehicle or business equipment and other valuables in a garage or shelter
• Store copies of important documents, such as wills and insurance policies, in a secure place

"Follow the instructions of local authorities during a hurricane, or any other natural disaster. Should your property sustain damage during a hurricane, be sure to document the damage and call your insurance broker or insurance company to report the damage. We're here to help in times like these," says Irene Bianchi, Vice President of Claims and Corporate Services at RSA.

What to do if your home or business has been damaged:

• Separate damaged property from undamaged property, and prepare an inventory of what has been lost or damaged
• Take photographs of damaged property. If covered, RSA will reimburse you for the cost of the photos
• Keep receipts for any clean up costs incurred (i.e. shop vac rentals, cleaning supplies, etc.)
• Your insurance company is there to help. Contact your independent insurance broker or your insurance company to report any damage. If you are an RSA policyholder, you can call our Claims line directly at 1-800-319-9993.

If one of these events does occur, we promise to get our customers' lives back to normal as quickly as possible while delivering the highest level of service.

If you have questions about your policy or would like more information, please contact your insurance broker.

About RSA
RSA Canada includes Roins Financial Services Limited, Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada, Quebec Assurance Company, Johnson Inc., Western Assurance Company, Ascentus Insurance Ltd., Canadian Northern Shield Insurance Company and is part of RSA Insurance Group plc. RSA Canada employs approximately 3,200 people and is represented by a large network of brokers across the country. In 2009, the Canadian Group wrote $1.9bn in direct premiums with assets exceeding $5.5 billion. Internationally, RSA Insurance Group plc employs about 21,000 people and has the capability to write business in 130 countries and in 2009 its net written premiums were £6.7bn.
RSA is a trade name of Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada.

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