If you own a business, you know the importance of preparedness. You prepare for client meetings, taxes, presentations and so on. One of the hardest things to prepare for, however, is a disaster. It is easy to put disaster preparedness at the back of your mind, especially if a disaster is not happening presently. According to a survey the Red Cross conducted in 2009, 89 percent of those surveyed felt it is necessary to be prepared for a disaster, but only 12 percent had an emergency disaster plan in place. Just as your prepare a budget and ways to save money, preparing for a disaster can save your business thousands of dollars and assist with business continuity.

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Memphis police officers were in full force as they knocked on the doors of about 1,000 homes today to instruct Tennessee residents to evacuate. The reason: the Mississippi River and its tributaries are expected to inundate area homes and businesses with near-record flooding. The predicted floods are likely to affect the states of Missouri, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, where White River-area residents also received evacuation orders.

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Hurricane season is just around the corner and will last from June to November. ABC News reports that over 1.8 million homes on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are at the greatest risk of receiving damage caused by hurricanes. The amount of homes in this at-risk zone is three times greater than those in flood zones defined by the federal government, according to CoreLogic. This means that two-thirds, or 66%, of the homes that are most likely to receive storm damage from a hurricane are outside of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood zones. The ABC News report states that the homes with the most risk of experiencing hurricane damage include those in New Orleans, La.; Tampa, Fla.; Virginia Beach, Va.; Long Island, NY and Miami, Fla.

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Retirement, college funds, vacations, large purchases and rainy days are all reasons most people save money. However, many fail to save cash in the event of a disaster. It is common for vendors to only accept cash after a disaster as their electronic equipment may not work properly.

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Recent disasters like earthquakes, floods and tornadoes naturally cause households to think about creating an emergency disaster plan. While a plan and an emergency kit take time to prepare, this will never be time wasted. When you have 10 minutes or less to get out of your home, it is vital that you are ready to get-up and go without any regrets.

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