Hurricane Matthew: How to Stay Connected to Your Home During Emergencies

By Rob Martens, Futurist and VP of Strategy and Partnerships for Allegion

Whether it’s a vacation home or a primary residence, owning property in an area affected by extreme weather requires forethought. As a former North Carolina resident, I understand the importance of preparing for an event like a hurricane as well as anyone. Most homeowners have a game plan ready that covers the basics, but many don’t realize that connected technology can offer new and safer ways to handle these situations.

Especially in the event of an emergency evacuation, the ability to pick up the phone or log into your computer to ascertain the current status of your property is invaluable. This is where smart home devices offer the unique advantage of keeping you connected to your home from wherever you are.

Crime Stoppers

A deserted and damaged neighborhood is a prime candidate for crimes like looting. Connected cameras can give you immediate visibility so you know if your home has been targeted, even offering proactive notifications when motion is detected. Moreover, it can also give you basic insight into any damage sustained by high winds or falling trees.

Flood Detection

Water sensors can alert you to flood conditions, as well as slow leaks, which can be easy to miss and lead to significant damage over time and requiring expensive repairs. The same is true of smart carbon monoxide and gas detectors, which provide alerts when levels become dangerous in the home. Connected devices located along the perimeter of your home, like locks and garage door openers, can also give you control over vulnerable entrance points, letting you know when they’ve been accessed.

Remote Monitoring and Push Notifications

The most exciting component of these smart home products is that they are all able to be monitored from a safe distance. There’s no need to expose yourself to potential danger in order to find out how your home has been affected. With connected devices, you can get up-to-date, reliable information from wherever you are. And with push notifications becoming standard for many smart home apps, you don’t have to wait until it’s too late to take care of a problem. If the situation in your home becomes dangerous, you’ll know immediately so you can alert the proper authorities without ever setting foot on the property yourself.

Affordable and Reliable Communication

A common misconception about these devices is that they’re expensive and difficult to install. This just isn’t true anymore. Not only has the cost of the accessories themselves drastically reduced over the years, but the cost of transmitting that information (bandwidth and processing) has also lowered. With more experienced manufacturers and platforms joining the marketplace, many devices can be installed in just a few minutes with no professional help or hardwiring into your home’s electrical grid. Schlage’s smart locks, for example, don’t even have to be plugged in – a simple battery does the trick, and lasts well over a year.

Insurance Discounts

Connected devices can even save you money on your homeowner’s insurance. Many companies offer discounts to homeowners with smart accessories in the home, and some have even invested in programs that partner with connected home manufacturers to offer incentives and perks to their customers.

Perhaps most importantly, outfitting your home with connected devices can offer relief to emergency personnel and law enforcement agencies who aim to keep people out of dangerous areas until they’ve been cleared. Anyone owning property in a disaster area is naturally anxious to understand how that property has been affected. With a simple network of just a few connected devices added to the home, you can get all the information you need without entering the area and affecting the ongoing work of emergency services.

Priceless Peace of Mind

With a minimal investment of time and money, connected devices can offer homeowners a priceless level of peace of mind in the most stressful and difficult of times. I encourage every homeowner, whether or not they are located in areas with extreme weather, to seek out connected accessories that can offer them the comfort of knowing what’s happening at their home at all times.