When it comes to preparing for a disaster, storing up food, water and medical supplies are just the beginning. Disasters leave many individuals and families without access to money. Pre-disaster financially planning shouldn’t be taken lightly. The following is a pre-disaster financial preparedness checklist provided by our in house experts of disaster preparedness.
Keep enough cash handy.
There is no guarantee that you will have access to an ATM. Your local grocery stores may accept ‘cash only’ and not credit cards. So, it’s important that you have a sufficient amount of cash available.
A good amount of cash to keep on hand is at least $200 – $500. This may seem like a lot of cash to have on hand, but you will need it if the ATMs and banks are closed down. You can place your cash in a safe deposit box in a safe place within your home.
Get an emergency credit card.
This emergency-only credit card should have enough credit available for you to purchase food and supplies for at least 7 days after a disaster. With a credit card, you can keep track of your disaster related purchases.
You will need this information in the event you need to be reimbursed by an assistance program or your insurance company.
Keep a list of bank phone numbers and account numbers
Make sure you keep your financial institution’s phone number and account numbers in a secure and accessible location. Use your wireless phone and email as a backup for keeping these records.
You can use your wireless phone and email to send important phone numbers, such as your credit card issuer. Avoid sending account numbers or passwords over the Internet or your phone.
Just keep in mind, you’re only using this as a backup. In the event you have limited Internet access or you’re unable to recharge your phone, you won’t be able to retrieve the information.
Financial Records and Other Important Records
Make sure you have copies of all of your important financial documents, such as your Social Security Card, property deeds, stock & bond certificates, vehicle titles, recent bank deposits, and bank statements.
Make sure you waterproof all of your records. You can place these documents into a 3-Ring waterproof binder (with a zipper). Then place the binder in a memorable location within your home.