No matter where you live and what you do, your home can’t run from a natural disaster. Whether it is small scale, just affecting part of your home, or devastating to your whole city, you can’t stop it from happening. But what you can do is prepare. There are things that you can do to mitigate the damage and protect your assets as much as possible.

Get Insurance

Homeowner’s insurance and other supplemental policies are the most important protection for natural disasters. When your home or possessions sustain damage, you can file a claim and receive the money that you need to repair your home or buy a new one. You can also use the funds to replace any damaged possessions that have monetary value.

When purchasing homeowner’s insurance, make sure you find a policy that covers both your home and your possessions. The type of insurance that you get will depend on where you live. If you live in Florida, it is probably a good idea to get flood insurance because of the hurricanes, whereas someone who lives in Arizona is much less likely to have to deal with a flood and probably wouldn’t want to invest in that specific protections.

Determine Home Inventory

How can you recoup damages from destroyed possessions if you don’t have a record of what you own? Insurance companies will require proof that you owned the things you are claiming and that they are actually worth as much as you claim. Keep pictures of the most valuable items stored in a secure location and any receipts or paperwork from major purchases. This will give you an easily accessible record to refer to in the case of a disaster.

Create a Safe Room

A safe room is a secure location in or near your home. Storm cellars and panic rooms are some of the more widely known examples of safe rooms. The idea behind a safe room is that it is an area that will allow you and your family to ride out a hurricane, tornado, or any other problem without sustaining any damage. While they are expensive, it is highly recommended for people who live in areas that are a lot of hurricanes or tornados. You can also store valuables or important papers in this room so that they are protected as well.

Home Security System

While your home security system might not do anything to help with a large-scale disaster, it can help with a small one that affects your home. Most security systems now come with carbon monoxide, smoke and fire detectors. These alarms can let you know about an issue before it does extensive damage to your home or family.

You might think that your home is safe and nothing will ever happen to you, but it is much better to invest some money in protection than to end up in trouble and regret your oversight after the fact. Take some time to figure out what disasters you and your family need protection from and start working on that today.