How To Prepare Your Vehicle For Natural Disasters

The best offense against natural disasters is a strong defense and that begins with preventative maintenance for your vehicle. You never know when disaster may strike, so it makes sense to always be ready. At London’s Automotive, we know that disaster comes in all shapes and sizes. This year’s flooding is no exception. Just take a look at this picture from KPTV AIR 12 from earlier this year. Other disasters include earthquakes, forest fires, heavy storms, etc.

Here are some tips you can use to prepare your vehicle when faced with natural disasters. First, you should map out a family emergency plan that includes the following:

• Vehicle Readiness: Be sure your vehicle is in tip-top shape. The last thing you need in an evacuation is a flat tire or an empty gas tank. Bring your vehicle to London’s Automotive in Corvallis, for a comprehensive preventative maintenance inspection and have our ASE-Certified auto mechanics repair and service your vehicle.

• Communications: As we’ve seen with those California wildfires and Hurricane Irma, a family communication plan can be critical to your survival and the peace of mind of your loved ones. Be sure you have a fully-charged mobile phone with a backup battery and a charger kit in your vehicle.   

• Use the phone tree method of communication. You call one person who calls others, and then they call more people, and so on.
• Be sure family member know your important numbers. It does no good if the numbers reside solely in the phone and the phone goes missing. Memorization is the key.

• Emergency Kits: Pack an emergency kit for your vehicle with water for at least three days. Pre-cooked canned goods (don’t forget the can opener), protein bars, and other foods to hold you over.  

• Important Document: Store all important documents like birth certificates, insurance policies, passports, etc., in a moveable fire-proof safe.

• Utilities: Know how to shut off your utilities and do it before you evacuate.  

• Evacuations: When authorities say evacuate. Don’t delay. Hit the road, Jack!

If you want to keep your vehicle prepared for anything Mother Nature could conjure up, visit London’s Automotive in Corvallis, OR. We are committed to helping everyone in our community drive in well-maintained and reliably repaired vehicles. Part of that means working meticulously to make sure that your automotive repairs are done correctly, the first time, every time. Stop by and see us today at 855 SW Western Blvd. in Corvallis, OR. You’ll be glad you did.