This article was originally printed in the Jan/Feb 2026 issue of the California Veterinarian magazine.

Natural disasters—from floods and wildfires to hurricanes, tornadoes, and snowstorms—seem to be in the news all too frequently. As you watch or read stories about the challenges facing victims of the latest disaster, you might try to convince yourself that it will never happen to you.

Nearly everyone, however, may be exposed to a natural disaster at some point. Keeping you and your family safe is the ultimate priority, as is mitigating the impact of financial loss. Taking steps to be financially prepared for such an occurrence can determine your readiness to handle a life-changing event. Here are some things to keep in mind to help you prepare.

Put the proper protection in place. There may be no more important step than making sure you have appropriate insurance coverage that is current and up to date. This includes property and casualty insurance to protect your home, vehicles, and other possessions. You’ll want to make sure your coverage is sufficient for the replacement value at today’s prices. If you believe you could be subject to a flood, you’ll need to look into a separate flood insurance policy provided through the National Flood Insurance Program. It’s important to note that most traditional homeowner policies do not cover flood damage.

Additionally, make sure you and your family have sufficient health insurance in place should medical attention be required during a disaster.

Have cash on hand. It isn’t unusual for many of the services we take for granted to be out of commission when a natural disaster strikes. For example, power may be out, which means ATMs will be unable to dispense cash. Internet and cell phone service could be limited as well, making it difficult to conduct any transactions online. One solution is to make sure you keep a reasonable amount of cash safely tucked away in your home so that you have money that’s available to use when you need it. Be sure you’ve got sufficient cash on hand that would meet your needs for a few days if you have to contend with drastic circumstances.

Protect key documents. Important documents should be stored in a safety deposit box at a bank. This includes birth and marriage certificates, Social Security cards, passports, and titles to your home and cars. In addition, if you have important household information stored on your computer, make certain it is backed up on a hard drive that is kept in a safe place. Keeping information on a safely stowed thumb drive that you can grab and keep with you in case of emergency may also be helpful.

Maintain an emergency fund. Your sources of income may be interrupted, either by an inability to work due to injury, or because the business where you are employed may not be able to operate temporarily. Be sure you have at least six months of living expenses set aside in a liquid, emergency fund to meet your expenses if you should be unable to work for an extended period of time.

Natural disasters can be devastating in so many ways. While the above tips are some of the ways to financially prepare for a natural disaster, there may be additional actions you can take depending on the severity of the event and your individual circumstances. But remember: the more you can do in advance, the better prepared you will be.

Michael E. Rodegerdts, CRPC, CEPA, CDFA, is a Financial Advisor with ClearRode Financial Group, a financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, in Woodland, California. He specializes in fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for 23 years. To contact him, call at 530.666.6337 or email at michael.e.rodegerdts@ampf.com.

Investment products are not insured by the FDIC, NCUA, or any federal agency, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institution, and involve investment risks, including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value. Ameriprise Financial cannot guarantee future financial results.

Securities offered by Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC.
© 2024 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.
File #AMP7075031.1-RUSH (10/31/2026)