FINANCIAL PREPAREDNESS PAYS OFF IN EMERGENCIES
[https://www.fema.gov/news-release/20200220/financial-preparedness-pays-emergencies]


Release Date: 
March 18, 2019 

AUSTIN, Texas — Natural disasters affect each household differently.
Some Hurricane Harvey survivors lived in hotels while rebuilding their
homes, others needed to replace vehicles and furniture, and still more
had to find new jobs. One thing they all had in common was a need for
money.

 

For those who don’t plan ahead, the aftermath of a natural disaster
can be financial catastrophe. Make sure you’re prepared for what
lies ahead by following the steps below.

 

	* Create an emergency fund: If disaster strikes, you may need to pay
unexpected bills for hotels, transportation, food, medical expenses
and other items. Put some money aside today and add to it after each
paycheck, so you’ll have what you need in an emergency. For tips on
saving, visit www.mymoney.gov/save-invest
[http://www.mymoney.gov/save-invest].
	* Keep some cash on hand: Disasters often mean power outages and
non-working ATMs and credit card machines.
	* Get supplemental insurance: Homeowners insurance typically does not
cover damage caused by floods, earthquakes or landslides, and in
coastal states like Texas, hurricane winds may not be covered.
Separate policies covering floods (fema.gov/nfip
[http://www.fema.gov/nfip]), windstorms and other perils are
available, and flood insurance is an option for renters.
	* Safeguard your documents: Important papers like insurance policies,
deeds, leases, passports and medical information should be kept in a
fireproof, waterproof box or safe deposit box. You may also want to
store electronic copies on an external drive or website.
	* Document your valuables: Taking photos of the rooms in your home
and any valuable items can help get the recovery process started
quickly and efficiently.
	* Sign up for direct deposit: Mail service can be delayed for weeks
by a natural disaster. Don’t let that stop your paychecks or
benefits like Social Security. 
	* Read the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit: This FEMA publication
provides checklists, forms and information to help you prepare for the
unexpected: https://go.usa.gov/xEAs4.  

 

For additional resources to help prepare for the unexpected, visit
www.ready.gov/financial-preparedness
[http://www.ready.gov/financial-preparedness] or
www.listo.gov/es/registros-vitales
[http://www.listo.gov/es/registros-vitales] for Spanish.

 

For additional information on Hurricane Harvey and Texas recovery,
visit the Hurricane Harvey disaster web page at
www.fema.gov/disaster/4332 [http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4332],
Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMAHarvey
[http://www.facebook.com/FEMAHarvey], the FEMA Region 6 Twitter
account at www.twitter.com/FEMARegion6
[http://www.twitter.com/FEMARegion6] or the Texas Division of
Emergency Management website at www.dps.texas.gov/dem
[http://www.dps.texas.gov/dem].