Periods of heavy rainfall have been predicted for winter. Beyond flooding dangers, heavy rainfall often leads to mudflow – a river of mud – and landslides caused by destabilized land shifting due to gradual erosion or sudden accumulation of water. Mudflows can be as dangerous and costly as mudslides. Mudslides occur
Most people aren’t ready for a wildfire, but there are steps you can take to reduce the risk. Maintain an adequate defensible space around your home and protect your home using fire resistant building materials. “Defensible space” is a buffer around your home that you can create by removing dead plants, grass and
The sun is out, the air is cool, flowers are blooming – that means it’s time for a little spring cleaning. After the winter we just had, it’s a good idea to do some preventive cleaning and maintenance to help maintain your home and property the rest of the year.
We all live and work in buildings with smoke detectors, but Californians haven’t adopted innovative new technology: water detection devices that warn about water damage from leaks or pipes. Western homes are much more likely to be damaged by water than by fire, but only a fraction have installed devices that
Water damage is the second-most filed claim by homeowners and renters every year, but few people really know how to keep water where it belongs – in your pipes and in your water heater – and not soaking your floors or dripping through your ceilings. Water may be a “necessity of
The National Fire Protection Association estimates that 70% of fires in multifamily dwellings are the result of tenants’ negligence. Many landlords don’t know that a lease can require tenants to obtain and maintain renters insurance – and doing so benefits everyone involved. Most tenants assume that the landlord’s insurance policy covers renters’