How Prepared Are You in the Event of the Unexpected?
No matter how vigilant you are in taking precautions, unexpected events can still take you by surprise. While the odds may seem slim that you could be involved in a natural disaster or other type of catastrophe, events like these occur on a regular basis. Taking steps now to ensure you are prepared can help to protect your assets and the people who mean the most to you.
National Preparedness Month
It has been close to 18 years since the 9/11 terrorists attacks took New Yorkers and the entire nation by surprise. Seven years later, people throughout the country faced foreclosure and financial devastation due to the housing collapse. Just four years after that, Hurricane Sandy devastated the coast line. Numerous other events have occurred since that put people’s lives in danger and jeopardized their financial security.
In an effort to encourage people to plan ahead for different types of disasters, the Department of Homeland Security created the website, Ready.gov. It offers tips on how to protect yourself and those you love when unexpected events occur. The month of September has been declared as National Preparedness Month. The goal is to promote community disaster and emergency planning now, before a need arises. There are four distinct themes the program is focused on in 2019:
- Save and prepare early for disaster costs.
This includes making sure you have emergency funds on hand in the event of a disaster as well as checking that you have the proper insurance policies in place. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends putting together an emergency financial first aid kit which includes personal identification, titles to property and other assets, lists of financial accounts, insurance cards, and any legal documents you might need.
- Make plans.
Create a family emergency plan, detailing where you will go in the event of an emergency and how you will maintain contact with other family members. Learn your evacuation zone and sign up for emergency alerts through government agencies for weather reports and other important information.
- Instruct children.
Children need to know what to do and how to protect themselves in the event of an emergency. Structure this according to age group. Older children and teens should know where to go and the actions they need to take in the event an emergency happens either at school or when they are home alone.
- Get involved in the community.
Be familiar with special issues or risks your community might face, such as from storms, flooding, or other disasters. Know the numbers for emergency responders and where emergency shelters are located. Consider volunteering with local groups and sign up for emergency call lists.
Let Us Help You Today
At Cavallo & Cavallo, we can help you put the proper documents in place to protect yourself and your loved ones in the event of an emergency situation. Do not put off this important task. To schedule a consultation in our office contact our Bronx & Westchester estate planning attorneys today.
https://www.cavallolawyers.com/when-you-need-an-estate-planning-attorney/
