5 Ways to Get Your Home Disaster Ready

In the best case scenario, you will have some time to prepare for an impending disaster (such as a hurricane), but other times, you might not be so lucky.

As a homeowner, you may not be able to stop a natural disaster from occurring — but you can (and should) get your home disaster-ready. Ensuring you have safety protocols in place, and a financial plan for damages, will ease some stress even in a dire weather situation. 

In the U.S., you are prone to natural disasters anywhere you live. Over the last five years, all 50 states have issued natural disaster declarations and the U.S. is home to the most extreme weather in the world. Perhaps this is why three in four Americans worry that their home may incur damage from a natural disaster this year.

In the best case scenario, you will have some time to prepare for an impending disaster (such as a hurricane), but other times, you might not be so lucky. Procrastination can betray you here, as most insurance policies won’t kick in coverage once a peril is named. 

Here are five ways to prepare your home before a threat is imminent: 

1. Set money aside in an emergency fund: It is a lot easier to evacuate when you have funds at the ready. Set aside up to six months of income in an emergency fund. 
2. Keep an emergency preparedness kit onsite: An emergency kit should be packed with enough supplies to last your family 72 hours without power. Here are items the Red Cross recommends keeping in your kit. 
3. Install recommended safety features: Installing hurricane shutters and fire sprinklers may seem like a nuisance right up until the moment they become necessary for safety. Take precautions and outfit your home with popular safety features. 
4. Ensure your insurance policies are up to date: The best way to protect your assets during an emergency is to ensure them. Stay on top of your policies so you know what’s covered and add additional purchases to your plan each year. 
5. Have an evacuation plan in place for you (and your pets): Don’t scramble for safety at the last minute. Have a plan of where to go when a disaster is named that will let your entire family, including your pets, ride out the emergency in comfort.

Below, check out more tips from insurance comparison site The Zebra to get your home disaster-ready.