ly Tips For Hurricane Preparedness (NAPSA)—Last year’s hurri- canes provided a valuable lesson in preparedness. Disasters can strike at any time andit’s important to ready your family and your primary modeof transportation for the worst. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin- i oO | istration predicts 12 to 16 tropi- cal storms—of which six to eight could become hurricanes, includ- ing one to three major hurricanes of category 3 strength or greater—so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the weather. Several industry experts have estimated that the numberof flooddamaged vehicles from last year’s hurricanes could reach 600,000. To date, the National Insurance Crime Bureau has collected over 300,000 vehicle identification numbers of flooded vehicles from the Gulf Coast. To help consumers avoid having their car becoming a waterlogged wreck, the experts at Carfax, the nation’s leading provider of vehicle history information, offer these suggestions to prepare for hurricanes andfloods that will go a long wayin helping to protect your family and property: e If at all possible, get your vehicle out of the area. Evaluate how much time you havebefore the storm is predicted to strike to make sure you can safely drive you and your family out of its path. STORM WARNING—Know how much time you have before the storm is predicted to strike and drive your family out of its path. Cover your vehicle or moveit to high ground. Park your car in an enclosed, uncluttered garage or moveit to an area thatis less susceptible to flooding. e Contact your insurance com- pany. Make sure yourpolicy is up to date and includes the coverage necessary to offset repair costs from flooding, should your vehicle sustain any damage. Carfax uses its computerized database of 4.5 billion vehicle records to provide a detailed his- tory report on virtually every registered used car and light truck since 1981, and can alert con- sumers to problems that can severely affect the safety, performance and value of a used vehicle. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.carfax.com.
