Page 69 - Book3E

CHAPTER 11
When Disaster Happens
Chances are you’re familiar with Murphy’s Law, which basically states: “Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.” Let’s face it. Fires, floods, and other disasters can impair your ability to conduct day-to-day money matters. Not only can natural or man-made disasters strike without warning and happen to anyone, they can also seriously impair the victims' abilities to conduct essential financial transactions.
According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), while Hurricane Katrina was the dominant disaster story in the U.S. in 2005, other calamities such as floods, fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes or similar events occur frequently, forcing people to evacuate their homes. Minor disasters
also damage or destroy property or personal belongings. Just ask anyone who has had a water pipe burst at home, turning his storage or living space into a wading pool.
Recent news reports that approxi-
mately $1.4 billion in government
disaster aid to victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita was used fraudulently is just one more reason not to expect the government to come to your aid. While we typically can’t control disasters, we can lessen their impact. For example, ready access to cash, sufficient life insurance and disability insurance, and key documents stored in a safe place can prevent a bad situation from becoming even worse.
Constant complaint is the poorest sort of pay for all the comforts we enjoy.
—Benjamin Franklin
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