September is National Preparedness Month. Some predictions show us having more hurricanes this year.
If one comes our way, are you ready? I wrote on the topic of financial preparation for disasters in May.
Which of the following have you done within the past 12 months? Prepared or updated a household inventory. Reviewed your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy.
Reviewed you auto insurance policy. Created or updated a financial grab-and-go box. Developed or updated and practiced a family communication plan.
Disasters don’t plan ahead. You can. Here are important tips relative to hurricane season as well as any disasters and emergencies.
Know your risks and understand the weather terms. For example, a tornado watch is issued when conditions are favorable for the development in and close to the watch area. Their size can vary depending on the weather situation. They are usually issued for four to eight hours.
A tornado warning is issued when a tornado is indicated on radar or is sighted by spotters. People in the affected area should seek safe shelter immediately. Tornado warnings can be issued without a tornado watch being already in effect. They are usually issued for duration of around 30 minutes. Stay weather-alert.
Prepare or update a household inventory. Emergencies and disasters may result in insurance claims. Document your personal property with a household inventory.
You may do this in various formats — video, pictures saved to a flash drive or paper. Have you made purchases or upgrades that are not covered in your policies? Have you sold something that you need to remove in your policies?
Review and understand these terms of your insurance policies:
• Type of insurance – homeowner’s/renters, auto
• Deductibles – tradeoff between lower deductibles and higher out of pocket expenses
• Policy limits
• Coverage – hazards, types of property, exclusions
Create or update a financial grab-and-go kit. Request MSU Extension information sheet #1801, Disaster Relief: Preparing Your Evacuation “To Go” Box from our office for instructions.
Develop and practice a family communication plan. Communication networks, such as mobile phones and computers, could be unreliable during disasters. Electricity could be disrupted. Planning in advance will help ensure that all family members know how to reach each other and where to meet in an emergency.
Planning starts with these three steps: (1) Collect. Create a paper copy of the contact information for your family and other important people/offices, such as medical facilities, doctors, schools, or other service providers.
(2) Share. Make sure everyone carries a copy of this information in his/her backpack, purse or wallet. If you complete your Family Emergency Communication Plan online at ready.gov/make-a-plan , you can print it onto a wallet-sized card. You should also post a copy in a central location in your home, such as your refrigerator or family bulletin board.
(3) Practice. Have regular household meetings to review and practice your plan.
Text is best. If you use a mobile phone, a text message may get through when a phone call will not. Text messaging takes less band width than phone calls. Text messages may also save and then send automatically as soon as capacity becomes available.
