Durban floods and the impact on home security systems
As soon as it is safe to do so, it is recommended that affected homeowners carry out a test of their alarm systems to see what kind of damage it suffered in the storm.
THE heavy rains that recently hit large parts of KwaZulu-Natal has caused wide-spread devastation. By midday on Wednesday, April 13, the death toll stood at 253.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this flooding. Disaster management officials are still trying to get an accurate picture of the full extent of the damage, and our personnel will provide any logistical assistance that we can offer under these extreme weather conditions,” said Charnel Hattingh, Head of Marketing and Communications at Fidelity ADT.
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“We have deployed all available resources to the affected areas, to assist customers and residents as they deal with the storm damage. We will dispatch available resources to respond to any calls received by our contact centre as quickly as we can,” said Hattingh.
Once the rain subsides, the focus will move to the clean-up and repairs that are needed for damaged homes. By early morning on Tuesday, April 12, there were already reports of numerous homes being submerged by water.
“As soon as it is safe to do so, we recommend that affected homeowners carry out a test of their alarm systems to see what kind of damage it suffered in the storm.
These electronic systems generally do not respond well to being submerged in water, and it is highly likely that technicians will need to carry out repairs or even replacements,” said Hattingh.
Insurance providers can provide clarity on whether these repairs would be covered by home insurance policies. “If your home security system has been damaged, please alert your armed response company immediately.
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”While you wait for repairs to be completed, we recommend that you put extra focus on other available security measures to keep your home and its occupants safe,” said Hattingh.
Hattingh also urges residents to offer any assistance they can to neighbours, especially when it comes to keeping an eye on one another’s home in case it is uninhabitable for a few days.
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