FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, March 11, 2011

CONTACT: Nancy Doll, Marketing Communications (515) 226-6215, ndoll@fbfs.com

 

Severe Weather Awareness
Farm Bureau Financial Services provides free resources to help protect families and property

West Des Moines, Iowa (March 11, 2011) Severe Weather Awareness Week, scheduled in U.S. states throughout the months of March and April, is a reminder that some simple, proactive planning can help families stay safe throughout a season of potentially volatile weather.

Based on climate trends, extreme weather-related events are increasing in frequency and magnitude¹. While no one can prevent the storms that come with the season, Farm Bureau Financial Services offers three free resources to help families and individuals prepare for the unexpected.

• Keep your family safe by making sure everyone knows what to do in the event of storm. Develop a family contact plan that designates where to meet or where to go during an emergency and how to contact one another.

• Take stock of all personal property. Create a home inventory list with details and values of all belongings. If a disaster were to occur, this will become an invaluable aid in remembering your possessions.

• In the event of a storm, use a storm recovery checklist to stay organized and help ease the process of starting a claim.

Many states have a Severe Weather Awareness Week, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as a reminder that severe weather can strike without warning. “That’s why we encourage everyone to review their coverages with their agent, and do some proactive planning. The peace of mind that results is invaluable” says Noel McKibbin, Property-Casualty Claims Vice President, Farm Bureau Financial Services.

¹The American Meteorological Society. AMS Journals Online - CO₂ Sensitivity of Extreme Climate Events in the Western United States. Accessed March 3, 2011

About Farm Bureau Financial Services
Through an exclusive, multi-state agent force, the companies affiliated with the Farm Bureau Financial Services brand underwrite, market and distribute a broad range of financial services products, including life insurance, investments, annuities, property-casualty insurance products and services and more, to individuals and small businesses within a marketing territory that includes 15 states. You can visit Farm Bureau Financial Services on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

###