The best advice is to prepare in advance for a natural disaster, and know the steps to take after the disaster. If your area is prone to hurricanes, flooding, tornados, snowstorms and arctic freeze, wildfires, earthquakes or other natural disasters, it is important to be prepared by having an action plan in place that will help keep you and your family safe, mitigate damage and expedite recovery.

Know your responsibilities related to a natural disaster, and you can better protect your family and property. Here are some pre-emergency tips that relate to most types of natural disaster:

• Stay informed and heed local city, state and county agency’s advice.
• Have a family communication plan in place. You may all be in different locations when disaster strikes, so know how to contact one another, have a plan to get back together, and discuss what you will do in case of an emergency.
• Have an emergency kit at home for at least three days of self-sufficiency, including bottled water, basic food and essential hygiene items.
• Make sure you have a cell phone with an emergency charging option (car, solar, hand crank, etc.) in case of a power failure.
• If you depend on electricity to operate medical equipment, have an alternate power source in case of a power outage.
• Make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector.
• Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone knows how to use them.
• Know where and how to turn off the main gas line, water supply and electricity to the home, should you need to.
• Know where the manual release lever of your electric garage door opener is located and how to operate it in case you lose power.
• Make sure you have renters insurance and/or flood insurance, and secure important documents in a safe location.