prevent home flood damage
By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted May 11, 2016

How to Protect Your Home Against Flooding

Flood Damage Preparedness & Avoidance There are very few places in the country that are immune to the dangers of flooding which means a disaster can strike anywhere. Flooding is the most common natural disaster in the United States. Floods caused $2.7 billion in damages between 2001 and 2010, according to the National Flood Insurance Program. Protect […]

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National Prepareathon: Tornado Preparedness Week
By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Apr 18, 2016

National Prepareathon: Tornado Preparedness Week

Saturday, April 30th is America’s Prepareathon Day – A National Day of Action. This week, April 17-23, the focus is tornado preparedness. Tornadoes can cause thousands if not millions of dollars of damage to homes, businesses or infrastructure…even causing National States of Emergency. We at BluSky want to get the message out about tornadoes as […]

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How To Prevent Water Damage In Your Home
By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Apr 05, 2016

How To Prevent Water Damage In Your Home

There are many different opportunities for water damage in your home. Not just natural disasters can cause catastrophic flooding…home appliances can too. The following are popular appliances and places that can cause water damage in your home. Refrigerator Water Damage If you believe the leak is coming from the back of the refrigerator, it may […]

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Water Damage Emergency Tips
By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Mar 30, 2016

Water Damage Emergency Tips

What You Can Do Before Help Arrives After any water damage emergency, your primary focus should be safety first: Is it safe to stay in the building? Electrical and ‘slip and fall’ hazards are some of the most prevalent concerns. Only do activities that are safe for you to perform. Wet materials can be VERY heavy. […]

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How Salt Water Damage Affects Your Home
By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Jan 28, 2016

How Salt Water Damage Affects Your Home

In the wake of hurricane season, many people have flood and water damage on their minds. Hurricanes and severe weather systems come with a special guest that makes water damage potentially more dangerous, expensive, and more difficult: salt. As these weather systems move from water to land they pick up salt water from the ocean, estuaries […]

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Winter Storm Threatens Greensboro and Roanoke
By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Jan 19, 2016

Winter Storm Threat – Are You Prepared?

A major snowstorm is expected to develop this week that will impact the eastern U.S.

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Why Act Quickly After A Disaster?
By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Jan 12, 2016

Why Act Quickly After A Disaster?

Within The First Few Hours Water contamination spreads to unaffected areas; stains released from furniture, especially antique, may stain carpet permanently; moisture sensitive surfaces on furniture may turn white; paper goods may be ruined due to moisture absorption and swelling. Acid and oily soot residues coupled with extreme high temperatures, within minutes, may cause discoloration of […]

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Fire Safety Tips From Real Firefighters
By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Dec 27, 2015

Fire Safety Tips From Real Firefighters

The holidays and Winter time can put homeowners and business owners at high risk for fires. This is due to increased activity at the home, candles and fireplaces running, increased cooking activity at the kitchen and electricity consumption overall. Because of this, we have pooled together helpful tips from real firefighters and fire stations to […]

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Holiday fire safety checklist
By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Dec 11, 2015

Holiday Fire Safety Checklist

Shorter days and colder temperatures mean we use all sorts of additional heating sources including fireplaces, electric space heaters, wood-burning stoves, and more. Add holiday cooking, decorations and extra extension cords to the mix and you’ve just drastically increased your risk of fire. Here’s a checklist of simple things you can do to stay safe […]

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5 Holiday Fire Safety Myths
By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Dec 11, 2015

5 Holiday Fire Safety Myths

Nearly 47,000 fires occur during the winter holidays claiming more than 500 lives, causing more than 2,200 injuries, and costing $554 million in property damage. Candle fires are four times as likely during the holiday months. During the winter holiday season, an average of 40 home fires per day are caused by children playing around the […]

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Labor Day safety tips for a great holiday weekend
By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Sep 02, 2015

Labor Day Safety

Here we are at the symbolic end of summer as Labor Day marks the unofficial start of autumn. As you gear up for your end-of-summer bash with family and friends, remember these Labor Day safety tips: Never leave your grill unattended Keep an eye on what’s cooking! Have a spray water bottle handy and douse […]

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By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Jan 05, 2015

Polar Vortex: The 2015 Edition

It was one year ago this week that a massive polar vortex assaulted and paralyzed much of the U.S. Anyone up for Round Two? The coldest temperatures of the season are on the way this week as dangerously cold arctic air masses move all the way to the Gulf Coast. Wind chills could even drop […]

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By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Dec 16, 2014

11 tips for winterizing your home

  Your home endures a lot during winter. Be ready to safely keep the cold outside and the warm inside and prevent winter disasters with these 11 tips. Clean your gutters. By winter you may have a huge collection of leaves and other debris. Clogged gutters can cause icicles and ice dams to form when freezing rain, […]

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By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Oct 21, 2014

BluSky addresses concerns about Ebola

The 2014 Ebola outbreak reminds us that it’s virtually impossible to predict when and where microbes will appear. Pathogenic microbes and viruses can grow, reproduce, and evolve to evade the immune system and the medicines developed to fight them. About Ebola Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe and often fatal illness in humans. In […]

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Don't Get Burned This Halloween
By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Oct 22, 2013

Don’t get burned this Halloween

Halloween is meant to be fun – don’t let your evening be ruined by a fire that causes injury or property damage. With candles inside jack-o-lanterns, decorative torches lighting up sidewalks, and flammable decorations all around, the risk of fire can be high on this spooky night. As you plan your Halloween activities, keep these […]

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By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Apr 16, 2013

Look for the Helpers

Within hours after the horrific events at the 2013 Boston Marathon, one of our favorite quotes from Fred Rogers started making its way around social media. “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who […]

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By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Mar 03, 2013

You can be a force of nature during National Severe Weather Preparedness Week

Yes, you can be a force of nature. In fact, we’re counting on it. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have designated March 3-9, 2013, as National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, and is calling on all of us to Be a Force of Nature. All of us at BluSky are […]

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Skunked
By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Oct 19, 2012

Skunked!

An employee’s dog had an unfortunate encounter with a skunk in the back yard recently. The poor pooch took the skunk’s full blast in his chest and face, leaving that unique fragrance in his fur and painful burning in his eyes. Then he ran through his owners’ home trying to escape the burn and odor […]

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By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Oct 10, 2012

5 things you should do before and after a fire

October 7-13, 2012 is National Fire Prevention Week. In our previous post 16 fire prevention tips for home and work we shared ways to prevent a fire. Today we look at ways to be prepared in case the worst scenario happens. Take photos of all your stuff Angel Cook, owner of the Angel Cook Insurance Agency, offers this […]

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How to avoid water damage
By Candace Johnson Tips & Info posted Sep 20, 2012

How to avoid water damage (and what to do if it happens)

Chances are you’re going to have some kind of water damage at home or at work sooner or later. The water heater might leak, a pipe may burst, or water could work its way into an attic – or beyond – during a storm. The ensuing water damage cleanup can be costly and emotionally draining. […]

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