DON’T WAIT FOR DISASTER BY MELANIE ROBITAILLE SR. STAFF WRITER & GRAPHIC DESIGNER With summer comes fun in the sun for many, but also preparing for a season of severe weather for others. With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stating, “extreme weather events such as heat waves and large storms are likely to become more frequent or more intense,” that complicates things for real estate professionals. “After each storm effects an area the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Flood Insurance Program assess and makes a determination on how the current building codes are impacted and if any changes or upgrades need to be made to better protect properties,” said Manager and Sales Representative, Joseph Piernas of EXIT Prestige Luxury Realty in Mississippi. To stay on top of this, Franchisee, Tiffany Marshall and her EXIT Magnolia Coast Realty team rely on training by bringing in builders, inspectors, insurance agents, and vendors from all aspects to help educate the office on ever-changing requirements. Being prepared differs for each event, but some guidance is universal as Joseph says, like stocking a kit with essentials, keeping cash and important documents in a safe place to access in a hurry, prepping your property when possible, and leaving in time to avoid getting caught in the event itself.
“We provide a list of most used and needed supplies, where sandbag locations may be, hurricane evacuation routes, where the mandatory evacuations have been ordered, and if we can deliver supplies after a storm we do, or we allow people to collect supplies while they last from our office.” TIFFANY MARSHALL , FRANCHISEE
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