Last year about this time a group of colleagues and I were able to tour the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Kansas City, Mo. FEMA works in partnership with tribal, state and local emergency management officials, as well as non-governmental and private sector partners, to protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards. With the upcoming storm season, I would like to highlight some of the important information we learned while there as it relates to disasters and finances.
When planning for an emergency, it is important to communicate with your insurance agent to know what types of disasters your policy covers. Typical homeowners policies offer coverage caused by fires, lightning strikes, wind and hail. Damage caused by earthquakes, floods, mudslides and sinkholes are not typically covered. Know your deductibles and have a plan for covering those as well.
Our group asked the FEMA representatives what would be his number one piece of advice to someone that had just been hit by disaster. His response was to make sure to save receipts. Include receipts of the following: