JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
National Preparedness Month, recognized each September, provides an opportunity to remind us that we all must prepare ourselves and our families now and throughout the year. This year, we will focus on planning, with an overarching theme: Disasters Happen. Prepare Now. Learn How.
Save for an emergency:
Man that insurance stuff from last week was exhilarating wasn’t it?
Well, we are quickly going to go over something even more exciting -- financial preparedness. People tend to see that phrase and think “Oh I’m fine. I have a savings account.”
In reality, are you saving for an unexpected expense? Do you have a rainy day cash fund? If so, that’s great. But when we get hit with a hurricane and there are no gas stations, hotels, or grocery stores that have power and you can’t use your debit card, what are you going to do? You, of course, want to have an emergency fund set up. It is recommended that you keep a few hundred dollars in cash in an emergency kit or “go bag” in case you need to leave your home abruptly.
Some items to consider for your emergency kit are family records like birth certificates, medical info, prescriptions or medicinal info and financial info for your entire family. Other items to consider would be any household information like insurance cards, a video or pictures of all your belongings and any items that hold value.
There is a lot to remember when saving for an emergency. Are you prepared for when a natural disaster strikes? The Joint Base Charleston Office of Emergency Management cannot stress enough the importance of preparedness. If you have any questions pertaining to preparing for any natural disasters, contact your local office of Emergency Management.