If you happen to have found an apartment that is somehow in the one part of the country that is never affected by natural disaster of any kind – no wildfire, snowstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes — (where is this apartment located, anyway?). Well, you have no reason to feel left out now, because there’s a new natural disaster on the horizon that we could all be impacted by.
If you haven’t heard of solar flares yet, prepare to hear a lot about them from here on out. Ever since two very large (X class) solar storms radiated out from the sun earlier this year, solar flares got hot (pardon the abysmal pun).
Scientists say there is a very real possibility (at least a 12 percent chance, by one expert calculation) that earth could be affected by one of these flares in dramatic fashion before the year 2020. The flare could produce dramatically beautiful auroras but could also have drastic consequences for electrical systems, satellite communications, and other conveniences that we totally take for granted when they work perfectly day in and day out.
So what does all this have to do with your apartment and renters insurance?
Well, the damages that could be inflicted by a solar flare that heads to earth include loss of power, which could trigger other major disruptions to daily life. It is possible that natural gas and other utility pipelines and services could also be impacted. And frankly, the more we’ve read about the unknowns involved in flare science, it is entirely possible that no one really knows what might happen.
One of the best ways to be prepared for the unexpected at your apartment is to make sure you have renters insurance. A low cost policy protecting the replacement value of your possessions is a very prudent choice to make that will protect you in the event of any kind of natural disaster or unexpected emergency. You should also be sure that you are prepared with an emergency kit that would carry you through any extended period of power loss, with food, water, flashlights, and other recommended supplies from the American Red Cross.
