Extreme weather events are here to stay. How to financially prepare yourself for a disaster

There are steps you can take right now to help speed the process of repair and recovery after a devastating weather event, should you ever be directly hit.

No part of the United States is spared the risk of extreme weather events, which have been hitting harder in recent years. From wildfires and tornadoes to hurricanes and flooding to prolonged heat waves, the potential damage from extreme weather to people, animals and property is high. Especially if you’re a homeowner. And especially if you live in or near high-risk areas. However, there are steps you can take right now to help speed the process of repair and recovery after a devastating weather event, should you ever be directly hit. Beyond the physical essentials your family and pets might need if you have to evacuate or shelter in place, pull together an administrative emergency kit, so to speak — physical and virtual. “Things can happen very quickly. You should have that go bag with all your important documents in an easy-to-remember, easy-to-access place,” said Loretta Worters, a spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute. “You can get an insurance check pretty quickly if you have all the documentation.” Consider, for example, wildfires. At least 38 states are at risk for them, according to the III. As so many in Los Angeles County have experienced this month, a wildfire can reduce your home and all your belongings to ash. “When [your house] burns there’s nothing to show what you have,” Worters said.