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Preparing, recovering, and rebuilding after disasters and emergencies

A guide to handling your finances if you are preparing for, recovering from or rebuilding after a hurricane, tornado, earthquake, or other disaster.

This guide focuses on your finances

If you need information on your physical safety before, during, and after an emergency, visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) ready.gov site.

Prepare your finances for a natural disaster or other emergency

Make a plan. Spending time to document your financial information and contact numbers before a disaster or emergency will save you time and stress if you have to recover from a natural disaster.

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Natural disasters can happen anywhere. Here are three steps you can take right now to protect yourself financially and weather any storm.

Resources to help you prepare

Recover and protect your money after a natural disaster or other emergency

Take care of your most urgent financial issues. If you can’t access your money or pay your bills after a disaster you’ll want to contact your lenders, creditors, and banks to let them know your situation. You’ll also want to find places that can provide financial assistance.

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When disaster strikes, it can be hard to know how to move forward. Here are steps to take to recover financially after a natural disaster.

Resources to help you recover

Rebuild your home, property, and credit after a natural disaster or other emergency

Watch out for scams and fraud. You have a lot on your plate if your home or other property was damaged after a natural disaster or emergency, so be sure to work with people you can trust. You’ll also need to check your credit to make sure that arrangements made with your creditors are reported accurately.

Resources to help you rebuild