Here are some tips to help you better prepare for disaster-related losses:

*Be prepared for any loss before the loss by having all your important insurance documentation in one place that you can easily pick up and take with you in the event that you have to leave your home quickly. Items included should be:

• copies of all your personal identification and credit card numbers
• Health insurance cards and copies of prescriptions
• Copies of all your insurance documentation including phone numbers for your agent, policy numbers, etc.
• Travelers checks for emergencies
• A listing of important telephone numbers and contacts

Meet With Your Agent

*Sit down with your agent at least once a year and review your coverage in detail. Know your policy limits and discuss how to best insure special items or valuables. Discuss a home inventory and a basic disaster plan for your family with your agent. We are a great resource for ensuring that you have the coverage you need and can provide an enormous amount of helpful information and loss prevention tips for your use.

*Understand how your policy will provide for you and your family in the event that you are unable to return to your home as a result of a mandated evacuation or a partial or total loss of your home. Many homeowner's policies will provide for your increased living costs while you are displaced. Know how this works and what steps you must follow to receive the coverage.

*Get clear instructions from your agent on what tot do in the event of a loss: Who should be called? What can you do to ensure that the loss is contained? What documentation will be needed? What should you expect from the claims process?