05/08/2026
Don’t wait until you’re under a severe weather alert to gather supplies and make a safety plan. Start preparing today with these tips.
✔️ Have an emergency plan.
• Decide what your family will do if severe weather is headed your way.
• If you had to evacuate, where would you go? Identify family members or friends who live far enough away for you to get beyond the path of a hurricane, wildfire, or other natural disaster. Tell them you’d like to include them in your emergency evacuation plan and make sure they’re willing to take you in.
• If you have young children, walk through your plan with them, including how they should take shelter in your home.
✔️ Build an emergency preparedness kit. Put together a supply of essentials and safety items in an emergency kit.
Start with the basics:
• Three-to-five-days' supply of bottled water and nonperishable food
• Battery-operated flashlight
• Battery-operated radio and weather radio
• A first-aid kit
• Cell phone charger or battery source for your phone
• Personal hygiene items
• Blankets
✔️ Gather important personal information.
• Make sure you have phone numbers of neighbors, family, friends and utility companies in your phone.
• Keep copies of your insurance and property information in your emergency kit. Many insurers, like us, make this information available through their app. If you’re a client, download our COUNTRY Financial mobile app so these documents are easily accessible.
• Check to see if your healthcare provider offers online resources to store your medical information so it’s easy to access from your phone.
• Keep critical documents, like birth certificates, in a safe or another location you can get to if your home is damaged or destroyed.
✔️ Make sure your home and possessions are covered.
• Create a home inventory with your phone. Save it to the cloud and email a copy to your insurance agent.
• Meet with your insurance agent yearly to review your home insurance policy.
• Check your emergency fund to make sure there’s enough to cover your insurance deductible in case you experience major damage to your home.
