The five-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Earl's too-close-for-comfort trip up the eastern seaboard are stark reminders of a simple fact: We humans are not in charge — not of the important stuff, anyway.
They're also reminders that the best disaster-related advice out there consists of two words: Be prepared.
That's the spirit behind September's observance of National Preparedness Month.
The Small Business Administration is using the observance as an opportunity to pass along some valuable advice to business owners and homeowners alike. The SBA's tips include the following:
- Develop a solid emergency response plan.
- Designate a contact person to communicate with other employees, customers and vendors.
- Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage.
- Copy important records.
- Create a “disaster survival kit.”
Read the SBA's advice in its entirety.
The Oklahoma Society of CPAs offers a few additional tips, including advice for building a contingency plan and “regaining financial balance” following a disaster.
“Often, when an emergency happens, people can get stressed and make bad decisions just because they’re not thinking clearly,” Marilyn Geiger, CPA, executive director of the Norman Regional Health Foundation in Norman, Okla., told the OSCPA. “Just having a written strategy to help lead you can help ease pressure and uncertainty.”
Read the rest of the OSCPA's guidance here.
Are you prepared for life following a major disaster? Let us know what steps you've taken, then be sure to check out these other terrific sources of disaster preparedness advice and resources.
Better safe than sorry, right?
- Disaster planning resources from the MACPA
- DisasterSafety.org
- Ready.gov, a disaster preparedness sight from the federal government
- FloodSmart.gov, the official website of the National Flood Insurance Program.
- SBA disaster assistance center
- Financial Planning: A Guide for Disaster Preparedness (from the American Red Cross)