Are your prepared for the next disaster?

Now is the time to be prepared for the next disaster. Let's face it. Life has its moments. Some are great and others cause damage. Our world can shatter in an instant.

If the year 2020 taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected. Whether it's a pandemics, record levels of unemployment, inflation, presidents we hate or love to hate, riots or the next mysterious insect causing biological damage – you must be prepared for whatever may be next!

FEMA offers suggestions to prepare for a natural disaster. Financial experts recommend strategies to save for short and long term financial needs. Nature enthusiast will teach you to be self-reliant when disaster impacts infrastructure and basic services. The CDC even offers guidance for preparing for the zombie apocalypse.

When planning your home, business and families safety you need to evaluate all the risks. Disasters range from very common events, like short term power outages or a sudden layoff, to extremely unlikely events such as war and multiple year recessions. Each year the Global Challenges Foundation provides a report analyzing the level of risk and the probability of global catastrophe. On a more local level, this is a list of areas in Georgia that are most likely to be impacted by a natural disaster. To take action today based on a risk evaluation model, you begin by allocating resources based severity of any unexpected event. You will provide a higher allocation to prepare for the most likely events like a generator when a Georgia storm leaves your home or business without power for several days and fewer resources for unlikely events like an asteroid impact.

Planning ahead for all kinds of possibilities can help reduce the effect. Deciding how much preparation is needed will depend on your family's risk factors and dependencies. The good news, a lot of emergency preparations can apply to various situations. Also, make sure to share your plans with family members and set aside funds and supplies.

While you are planning for future events, remember, you also have to protect your current lifestyle. You cannot add to your long term savings if you have to spend money to replace or repair the things you already own. And it is a waste of money to store emergency supplies if you cannot keep them secure. So the first order of business when preparing for the future is to take care of the present. This first step in protecting the present is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of your home or businesses security and fire needs. Take stock of the current state of your location, consider the unique needs of your family or employees than work with a qualified security and fire technician to help you fill in the safety gaps. Make sure your fire alarm system is up to date. Consider adding a home security system or adding surveillance cameras to safeguard your property. Businesses should have a working fire alarm system and security cameras to provide 24/7 protection to their employees, location and profits.

Now you are ready to think about future plans - whether it is retirement or the apocalypse. You will have peace of mind knowing that you are doing everything you can to protect your family.