How prepared are you – and your clients – for major disasters?

In addition to Realtor® Safety Month, September is also National Preparedness Month.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing Development, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, renters are three times more likely to require financial assistance to evacuate during a major disaster than homeowners.

With close to 44 million renter households, 39 percent said they would not be able to afford $2,000 to evacuate for an emergency, and with 77.3 million homeowner households, 12 percent said they do not have $2,000 to use in the event of an evacuation. That means there are millions of households that would not be able to afford to evacuate in an emergency.

“We welcome our partnership with HUD and this new data from the American Housing Survey. This report underscores the need to prepare for the hazards we may face at any time,” FEMA’s Deputy Administrator for Resilience Dr. Daniel Kaniewski said in a news release. “During National Preparedness Month, FEMA is encouraging individuals, families and communities to start preparing. People with an emergency plan in place, a little emergency savings in the bank and the right insurance coverage will bounce back much quicker following a disaster.”

Pets are also something to consider. More than 13 million households said they would need assistance to evacuate their pets.

Fortunately, most households are more likely to be prepared with food, with more than 80 percent reporting they have enough food (non-perishable) for at least three days, but only 58.6 percent have enough water (three gallons) for three days.

How can people be more prepared? The easiest ways are to discuss with your household what your emergency plan is, where you will go and what you will do. Having non-perishable food and water on hand is also a must-do. If possible, starting a savings account for emergency funds is also a good way to prepare.