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Disaster-Proof Your Life: How to Prepare for Natural Disasters in the Midwest
May 16, 2025
By Teri Roth Alexander
The impact of the recent fires in the Los Angeles, CA area and the floods, then fires in Asheville, NC, got us thinking. Are we in the Midwest being complacent and assuming nothing of this magnitude could happen here?.
From tornadoes whipping across open fields to crippling ice storms and the occasional flash flood, the Midwest is no stranger to the force of nature. We are also not immune to the occasional aftershocks from distant earthquakes, windstorms, hurricanes, or fires. Though we can’t stop disasters, we can absolutely prepare for them—physically, emotionally, and financially. Knowing what to do before, during, and after a disaster can protect your home, your family, and your finances. Here’s how.
Before the Disaster: How to Prepare
🧭 1. Make a Plan
Every family needs a clear emergency plan:
- Pick two meeting spots: one near your home and one outside the neighborhood.
- Choose emergency contacts, both local and out-of-town.
- Discuss responsibilities: who grabs the emergency kit (go-bag), who handles the pets, etc.
- Practice regularly, especially with children and elderly family members.
🎒 2. Build Your Emergency Kit
Prepare a “go-bag” for each family member that includes:
- Non-perishable food & water (3-day minimum)
- Flashlights, batteries, phone & other device chargers, and a radio (preferably NOAA weather radio)
- Medications & first aid kit
- Personal hygiene items & face masks
- Copies of IDs, insurance policies, and financial documents (in waterproof pouch)
- Pet food, leashes, and carriers
- Blankets and seasonal clothing
- Cash (may be needed for a hotel, food, etc., for several days)
💸 3. Get Financially Ready
Disasters can hit your wallet hard. Prepare now to avoid added stress later:
- Review insurance policies: Make sure you have adequate home, auto, and flood insurance. Earthquake and hurricane coverage may be separate add-ons. Make sure you have a copy of your P/C Policy number in your go-bag.
- Create an emergency fund: If you don’t have 3–6 months’ worth of essential expenses in an “emergency fund” yet, set up an automatic deposit from your paycheck to a savings account (identified as an “emergency fund”). If you already have liquid funds sitting somewhere, move these to an account you designate as an “emergency fund.”
- Digitize important records: Upload copies of your important papers such as your driver’s license, insurance policies, passports, copies of your credit cards, estate documents, medications, key telephone numbers, birth certificates, social security cards, and bank information to a secure cloud service. There may be other documents that need to be digitized, but this is a start.
- Fire-proof safe: Along with the documents listed above, paper copies should be stored is a safe place.
- Password keeper: Having a password keeper on your phone where they are available on the cloud or some secure location for you to access if you no longer have access to your house or desktop computer is also important.
- Inventory your belongings: Take photos or videos of major items in your home for insurance claims. Store these electronically as well.
📲 4. Stay Informed
- Sign up for local emergency alerts via text or apps.
- Download weather and disaster notification apps (like FEMA or Red Cross).
- Keep a battery-powered or hand-crank radio in case the power goes out.
Disaster-Specific Prep Tips
🔥 Wildfires
- Maintain a defensible perimeter by clearing brush and debris.
- Store firewood and propane away from your home.
- Create a “fire action plan,” including multiple evacuation routes.
- Identify your shelter: basement, storm cellar, or interior room with no windows.
- Install a tornado siren app or a weather alert radio.
- Keep sturdy shoes, helmets, and whistle in your shelter.
- Insulate pipes and know how to shut off water valves.
- Keep backup heating (wood stove, generator) and fuel.
- Charge devices ahead of time and have non-electric activities ready for kids.
- Tie down or bring inside outdoor furniture and trash bins.
- Secure doors and windows; consider storm shutters.
- Trim weak tree limbs.
- Even if rare, hurricanes can reach inland with heavy rain and wind.
- Prepare for flooding: sandbags, clear gutters, move valuables upstairs.
- Know local evacuation routes and shelters.
- Anchor bookshelves, TVs, and heavy furniture to walls.
- Identify safe spots (under sturdy tables, away from glass).
- Practice “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” drills.
After the Disaster: What to Do
🔎 1. Prioritize Safety
- Check for injuries and give first aid as needed.
- Stay away from downed power lines, broken gas lines, and floodwaters.
- Turn off utilities if instructed to do so.
- Document all damages (photos, videos).
- Board up broken windows and cover damaged roofs temporarily.
- Contact your insurance company before making permanent repairs.
- Use text or social media to check in if lines are overloaded.
- Register with FEMA or Red Cross if displaced.
- Report damage to utility companies and local emergency management.
- Disasters are traumatic—talk to someone about your experience.
- Children may need extra comfort and structure in the aftermath.
- Don’t hesitate to seek professional help or local support services.
- File insurance claims as soon as possible—keep all receipts for expenses.
- Apply for FEMA disaster assistance or small business loans if eligible.
- Contact creditors to explain delays; many offer hardship options during disasters.
- Rebuild your emergency savings with help from disaster grants or relief programs.
- Determine if you are eligible for any tax relief if the disaster is declared a federally declared disaster area. Use the FEMA search tool for additional information.
Final Thoughts: Preparedness Is Power
Natural disasters may be inevitable, but being caught off guard is not. The Midwest's climate and geography expose us to a wide variety of threats, but a little planning today can spare you from overwhelming stress tomorrow.
Protect your people. Protect your property. Protect your peace of mind by preparing now. If you are interested in a list of items that should be in a Go-Bag, please contact us at alexanderfinancialplanning.com, and we will email this to you.
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