The Importance of Evaluating Property and Making a Plan

A natural disaster can leave you and your business mired in financial uncertainty and insecurity. Assessing conditions, values, and assistance need is critical to both short- and long-term recovery. Below are important steps that every home or business should take in wake of a natural disaster.

Assessing Personal Conditions, Home, & Property

• Evaluate your living conditions. If livable, stay with the property/home/apartment and find water and a source of food.
• Find all insurance and any documents which have information regarding the value of the home, its content, and all relevant valuables. This will enable advanced living expenses extended by FEMA to be approved and expedited.
• Contact FEMA via phone, internet, the nearest FEMA Disaster Center, or local, state, or county centers and provide them with as much information as possible.
• Ask for an appraiser from FEMA or the respective insurance carriers to come for a site visit as soon as possible.
• Contact your employer if possible. They may have set up help lines, can provide temporary services, or can extend compensation.
• If all else is not possible, report to the governmental shelters and return to the homes regularly during allowed time frames

Assessing Your Business

• As quickly as possible, recover financial records and establish a leadership command for communications to governmental agencies and the press.
• Divide recovery efforts into employee help, governmental assistance, and private funding for business interests.
• Evaluate loss, both direct and indirect, for recovery assistance.
• Review if you have the business interruption insurance policy
• As soon as possible, set up a separate communications line for employees and government agencies
• Determine cash flow needs. If what is on hand exceeds business, review with internal CFO and COO if necessary.