Tips on Preparing Financially for Hurricane Ike
Texas CPAs Urge Residents to Get Their Finances in Order
Before the Storm Strikes

DALLAS — Stocking up on plywood, flashlights and extra batteries isn’t the only thing residents need to do in order to prepare themselves for hurricane season. Part of disaster preparedness also includes financial planning. With Hurricane Ike looming in the Gulf, Texas residents should use these next couple of days to get their finances in order.

Texas CPAs provide three tips for financial preparedness in advance of a natural disaster:

• Have cash on hand. One of the first things you are likely to need is money for food, shelter, repairs, and more. If banks close and ATMs are out of service, be prepared with cash and know where you can access larger amounts of money.
  
  
• Gather important documents in a waterproof and fireproof lockbox. You’ll want to put important paper documents such as Social Security cards, birth certificates, list of insurance policies, mortgage deeds, etc. in a safe place where you can retrieve them after disaster strikes.
  
  
• Conduct a household inventory. Do a walk-through in your house and take pictures and collect the papers you might need for insurance purposes in the days following a disaster.
  

Visit www.ValueYourMoney.org for the disaster preparedness planning guide created by American Institute of CPAs and the Red Cross.

ABOUT TSCPA
TSCPA (http://www.tscpa.org) is a nonprofit, voluntary, professional organization representing Texas CPAs. The society has 20 local chapters statewide and has 28,000 members, one of the largest in-state memberships of any state CPA society in the United States. TSCPA is committed to serving the public interest with programs that advance the highest standards of ethics and practice within the CPA profession.