What Happens When Your Storage Unit Is Affected By Natural Disasters

When it comes to natural disasters, they are an inevitable force, and almost everyone will be affected by one sometime in their lifetime. Fires, floods, tornados, hurricanes; they don’t discriminate on who they affect. But what happens when they involve your storage unit? This concept is not widely discussed among those who have gotten units and had damage to their things in the event of a natural disaster. So who’s at risk? Who pays the damages?

If you happen to live in an area that is commonly prone to natural disasters, you are probably pretty knowledgeable about keeping your belongings as safe as you can. In places such as tornado alley in the states, you will know where to seek shelter; those in earthquake areas know to cover under a table, door frame, or desk.

Damage

If a natural disaster were to impact a storage unit, what kind of damage would occur to your belongings? Things like blizzards and floods can cause quite a large amount of water damage and can easily seep into units that are at ground level. Things like hurricanes and tornadoes can easily rip apart unstable buildings and level anything in its path. Fires caught due to wildfires can cause some of the worst devastations. Any of these occurrences could destroy your belongings. However, not all disasters are considered equal, and in some cases, your belongings can be replaced.

Things such as furniture and large items can be stored on pallets in your unit to help give them a bit of height as so they are not entirely on the ground. This will help prevent some water damage in the event of a flood, anything that you can put in airtight containers you should do to keep water from damaging anything like blankets, clothing, etc. Remember the motto: stack it high to keep it dry. Anything of importance should be kept up high to receive minimal to no damage if at all possible.

In the event of an earthquake, pack your items tight but not stack them too high to help avoid them falling and taking potential damage.

Insurance

Most people who rent will get renters insurance. This insurance, in some cases, can help when it comes to damage in a storage unit. Other times a storage facility will also offer insurance that you can purchase when you lease your company. The cost of insurance is usually included in the monthly price of your unit. It’s essential to find out if any disaster befalls your unit to know how to file a claim to help recover the loss of any items that might be destroyed.

Natural disasters are unavoidable; storage units can be thought of as an asset when it comes to floods, rain, winds, and other things that come with storms. Your precious keepsakes and items must stay safe. If you have any concerns, you should discuss them with the leasing office before renting.