JumpstartMyPC.com has decided to bring FollowFriday to our blog. Read on and, if you are so inclined, add these “interesting people” to your own list.

FollowFriday – Round 16

2010 Hurricane Names

Like it or not, hurricane season is here.  Alex, which came in as the second most powerful hurricane of June (all-time) has already dissipated, leaving heavy rains for Mexico and Texas.  For many, this storm will serve as a wake-up call that it is time to prepare for a busy hurricane season.

Being prepared means being informed.  Traditional news sources like TV, radio and print will provide us with valuable details as new tropical storms develop and head towards the U.S./Mexico, but the information does not stop there.  Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites are becoming equally (if not more) effective at spreading important news and, for those of you trapped in cubicles and offices during “normal work hours,” these social sources might be your only link to the outside world.

If you are a “hurricane tracker” or are just interested in staying ahead of the storms, you might want to consider following some of the following sites.

Hurricane Alerts (brought to you by the National Hurricane Center) was designed to track hurricane and tropical storm news and warnings for the coastal United States.  

Most of the updates (tweets) are links to articles on web sites, but the posts are frequent and you’ll have no problem keeping up with the latest details on any hurricane.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/hurricanealerts
Web Site: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Hurricane Alerts on Twitter

The Weather Channel

Updates made during the approach of Hurricane Alex indicate that TWC’s Twitter account does a great job at keeping everyone informed regularly with great information on wind speeds, rain measurements and road conditions.  There are also occasional links to articles on weather.com.  If I were trapped somewhere with only my cell phone and no computer access, this is a Twitter feed I would want to follow.

Web Site: http://preview.weather.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheWeatherChannel
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TWCBreaking

The Weather Channel for Hurricane Updates

Weather Underground is the site to follow for people who like lots of detail.  The site was created to provide people with real-time information and they do not disappoint.  From advisories to Global Sea Surface Temperatures, you can find it all here.

The Twitter updates from WU are frequent and provide a combination of good details and links to their site.  What’s great about following Weather Underground is they post the coordinates of the storm in every tweet, so you trackers can mark it on your maps as new updates are posted.  I might get a map just to follow along.

Web Site: http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wunderground?v=wall
Twitter: http://twitter.com/wunderground

Wunderground is Where You Can Find All the Details

Try out one or all three of the sites we recommended today and check back next Friday for more great #FollowFriday recommendations. Don’t forget, if you want to share this article with friends or family, all you have to do is click on the ShareThis button below.

For any hurricane season, there are a few basics to concern yourself with.  You should have a safe place to weather the storm and enough food and water to last for at least a few weeks.  Check for flashlights, batteries and other essentials.  But then what?  It seems like we always forget something important when rushed into situations like this.  Imagine the post-storm recovery.  You might have evacuated the area or worse, your home might have been destroyed by flooding or tornadoes.  What then?  Were you prepared to start over or deal with the enormous task of insurance claims and a mountain of paperwork?  Wait, the paperwork!!!!!  That’s where today’s article comes in.

Before it’s too late, before you say “I wish I had thought of that,” before you have time to forget about it…. you need to locate and backup your important documents.

Preparing Your Documents

Before you can begin copying, scanning or organizing your important documents, you must establish what documents you need and where they are currently.  There is no complete list of documents anywhere, but many different sites that can help jog your memory and get you started.  Here are a list of items I put together and a few helpful links.

Important Documents

• Identification (Drive’s License, Passport, Social Security, Birth Certificate)
• Insurance Information (Medical, Home, Car)
• Wills
• Property Records
• Power of Attorney
• Credit Card Information
• Financial Information (Bank Statements, Account Numbers, Retirement Accounts, 401k, Investments)
• Any original documents with a signature

Links to Lists of Important Documents

While all of these links don’t pertain to scanning or backing up important documents for a potential disaster, they do provide valuable information that can help get you started on your own list .

• Organize Important Family Records (Microsoft Home Magazine)
• What to Back Up (HP Web Site)
• List of Important Documents - PDF (PBS Article on Caring for your Parents)
• Emergencies: Are You Prepared – PDF (University of Kentucky – Agriculture)
• A Checklist of Important Family Documents (Portland Online)

Word of Warning

If nothing else, compiling this information into a Family Information folder or portable filing system will help you in the event you need to evacuate your home.  Just keep in mind that this information is of the utmost importance and should be secured and, if possible, hidden.  I read a recent article that said 40% of all identity theft is done by someone who knows the victim.  An acquaintance, worker or “friend” might use this information if you don’t protect it.  You cannot be too careful.

What Next

Now that you have this information organized and ready to backup, what do you do next?  You could photocopy it all and save the copies in a safe-deposit box or secure location, but with today’s technology and the accessibility of scanners and broadband internet why should you limit yourself.  In our next article, we will study the methods of scanning your documents, how and where to store the information.  Check back tomorrow or follow us on Facebook or Twitter to receive daily updates as our articles are completed and posted.

Related Articles

Hurricane Preparedness – Scanning and Saving Important Documents – Part 2

Hurricane Preparedness – Scanning and Saving Important Documents – Part 3