Planning Ahead - National Preparedness Month

The Cambridge Dictionary defines “prepare” as making or getting ready for something that will happen in the future. It also states: “to expect that something will happen and to be ready for it.”

A capricious planet Earth makes natural disasters inevitable. Some years are worse than others, and relatively brief stretches of recorded history demonstrate the ferocity nature can superimpose on unsuspecting civilizations.

In the United States, as recently as 2017, the havoc an untamed environment wreaked on communities and the economy reached near record levels. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recorded 16 weather and climate disasters in 2017 with estimated losses exceeding $1 billion. That number included one drought, two floods, one freeze, eight severe storms, three tropical cyclones, and one wildfire.

Look back in history to 1980, and the picture gets even bleaker. Nearly 220 weather and climate disasters swept across the United States since that time, costing more than $1.5 trillion. That figure includes the initial costs for hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria

National Preparedness Month serves as a reminder.

National Preparedness Month was established in 2004 to encourage Americans to prepare for potential emergencies and disasters. The event is held every September and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

While we can’t control nature’s rage, we can brace ourselves for the worst in the hopes of escaping relatively unscathed. And that requires making preparations.

Here are some emergency preparation tips to help keep you secure:

• Put appliance thermometers in your refrigerator and freezer. Refrigerators should be kept at 40°F or colder and freezers at or below 0°F. Freeze water in containers to keep refrigerators cold during power outages.
• Put refrigerated perishable items like milk and meat in the freezer during power outages. Refrigerators retain adequate cold for about four hours during outages; full freezers may preserve contents for nearly 48 hours (if doors are kept closed).
• Plan ahead by buying emergency supplies if you know potential power outages may occur. Buy dry ice or block ice in anticipation.

The harsh realities of some of the recent and more severe natural disasters demonstrate the importance of making preparations to ensure all aspects of your personal life, including finances, are kept secure.

The Federal Trade Commission offers these steps to manage weather emergencies:

1. Organize your finances. Most people preparing for emergencies rightly focus on the material side, such as stocking extra batteries or bottled water. However, ensuring your finances are in order is equally important.
2. Locate documents. Inventory paperwork, forms or other important documents, and replace anything that is missing. Store the documents in a safe and protected place.
3. Take a look at your insurance. See if your insurance policies—home or health—will pay for shelter or replace any property, including clothes, destroyed in a disaster.
4. Brace for flooding. Hurricanes can send rising waters into homes and buildings, causing major structural damage. Check your policy to ensure you are adequately covered for all aspects of a disaster, including floods. You can also draft a personal or household flood plan.
5. Protect your pets. The family member often overlooked or neglected during disasters and preparations is the furry one, the household pet. Make plans to protect your pets from fires, floods, tornadoes, or other emergencies.

The American Red Cross provides assistance with developing emergency plans and conducting inspections. Here are ways the organization provides help:

• Conducts home visits to test or install smoke alarms and provides disaster education.
• Hosts The Pillowcase Project, a Disney-sponsored program to help teach children how to prepare for emergencies.
• Participates in FEMA’s PrepareAthon!, which helps motivate communities to initiate and engage in more emergency-preparation functions.
• Encourages families with children to use Monster Guard, an app that teaches children through games about the importance of preparing for emergencies.

Our company prepares for emergencies too. Did you know we have a Disaster Recovery and Contingency Plan in place that we would employ in the event of a disaster or emergency? Our goal is to make sure our people, our office locations, our technology and our client’s information is kept as safe as possible and that we are able to serve you as quickly after an event as possible. If you ever have questions about our preparedness plans, please let us know.

Preparing for emergencies and for your financial future should be a very important part of your life. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about developing strategies to pursue a prosperous and safe future, contact us today!

Please remember that different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product made reference to directly or indirectly in this content, will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), or be suitable for you or your portfolio. Due to various factors, including changing market conditions, the content may no longer be reflective of current opinions or positions. Moreover, you should not assume that any discussion or information contained in this newsletter (article) serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from Searcy Financial Services, Inc.

The content of this letter does not constitute a tax or legal opinion. Always consult with a competent professional service provider for advice on tax or legal matters specific to your situation. To the extent that a reader has any questions regarding the applicability of any specific issue discussed in this content, he/she is encouraged to consult with the professional advisor of his/her choosing.  

Published for the blog on September 27, 2018 by Searcy Financial Services, your Overland Park, Kansas Fee-Only Financial Planner and Investment Manager.