‘Prepare now’ for Hurricane Irma, Georgia insurance commissioner warns

Georgia insurance commissioner Ralph Hudgens is urging Georgians to begin preparing now for the threat of severe weather from Hurricane Irma.

“With Hurricane Irma on an uncertain course and gathering strength in the Atlantic, Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens is urging Georgians to prepare now for severe weather, including reviewing their property insurance,” the commissioner’s office wrote in a press release.

“Commissioner Hudgens recommends that property owners make copies of their insurance policies, obtain insurance company’s phone number; inventory their personal belongings; and keep all of these documents with them should they be forced to leave their homes.”

Even as the nation reels from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, Puerto Rico and Florida were forced to declare States of Emergency as Irma took a menacing path straight toward the Florida peninsula.

Hurricane Irma is not expected to approach the U.S. mainland until at least Friday morning, but predictions of its path after that point are extremely unclear.

Some models suggest that the storm could hit the Georgia coast or even travel over the mainland of the state. Others say it may not make landfall all.

It is currently one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic.

Hudgens recommended property owners take additional steps to prepare for severe weather, such as making plants for pets, reviewing or seriously considering purchasing flood insurance policies, securing properties as best as possible, removing or securing valuables, and making early contact with claims representatives to establish lines of communication.

For more information, check the full list of tips from the Commissioner’s Office or call the hotline at 800-656-2298.

This story was originally published September 5, 2017 at 1:47 PM with the headline "‘Prepare now’ for Hurricane Irma, Georgia insurance commissioner warns."