Home – Safety

How to Prepare Your Home or Business for Wildfire Season

You don’t have to live near a canyon or forest for your property to be threatened by wildfire. Nearly 1/3 of U.S. homes are in wildfire-prone areas, according to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS).

The impact of a wildfire can be tragic and expensive. For instance, the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of the Interior spend a staggering $3.5 billion a year combating the fires.

Key to lessening the damage to homes and businesses is knowledge and preparation.

tornado prep infographic

Tornado Preparation Tips for your Home and Car [Infographic]

While many people think tornadoes impact only the Midwest, every state in the country is vulnerable to tornadoes, according to NOAA. Approximately 1,200 tornadoes hit the U.S. each year, causing an average of $24,000 in home damage and $4,000 in auto damage. Our claims department reviewed data related to tornadoes from 2008 and 2012 and found that other than a direct hit, the majority of tornado damage to homes and cars occurs from falling tree debris or fallen trees.

Since this week is National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, it’s the perfect time to learn about the ways you can prep your car and home.

Home Safe Home

  Protect you and your family from these common accidents. While you might think your home is the safest place … Continued

Youth fall sports safety tips

Prevent Youth Sports Injuries this Fall With these Safety Tips

The fall sports season in full swing. Youth sports give kids an opportunity to learn teamwork, get physically fit and socialize. Regardless of what fall sports they participate in – football, soccer, cross country, volleyball and the like – injuries like sprains and strains can be all too common. What can you do to keep your young athletes safer on the field? Here are tips from the Youth Sports Safety Alliance to help protect them from sports-related injuries.

Leaving home.

Nationwide Survey Reveals Common Mistakes that Could Invite Home Burglaries

At Nationwide, being “On Your Side” isn’t just about recovering from tragedies – it’s about preventing them. That’s why we conducted a survey* of homeowners to find out how protected Americans are against home burglary. Some of the results are surprising, but the good news is there are easy ways to improve the security of most homes.

Home at dusk.

Home Burglary Quiz: How Much Do You Know?

According to Nationwide Insurance Claims Data and FBI statistics, home theft is most common in the summer months when the temperatures rise. A recent survey* commissioned by Nationwide reveals that, while a majority of homeowners (79 percent) have at least one common theft-prevention measure (e.g., alarm system, deadbolt), three in 10 (30 percent) do not use any, potentially putting their loved ones and belongings at unnecessary risk during a heightened burglary season. Are you prepared in case you experience a home theft? See how you stack up against our recent survey and test your security smarts about home theft below.

tornado damage

Record-Breaking Tornadoes in U.S. History

Hollywood tornadoes may whisk you away to the magical land of Oz, but real life twisters can destroy an entire neighborhood in minutes.

Here are some of the largest, fastest and most destructive tornadoes in United States history.

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How to Protect Your Home From the Dangers of Radon [Video]

Add this to list of invisible things that are bad for you: radon gas.

Radon is an odorless, invisible, radioactive gas that can cause serious health problems. Check out this video from New Jersey Water Testing on the dangers of radon, and how it gets into your home: