SBA
Administrator Mills Encourages Americans to
Plan for Disasters During National
Preparedness Month
WASHINGTON –Citing
current wildfires in Southern California and several storms impacting coastal
regions, the U.S. Small Business Administration is encouraging Americans to be
prepared. In a message posted today on YouTube, Administrator Karen G. Mills reminds
the public about National Preparedness Month and the devastating effects of disaster,
encouraging everyone to develop and implement disaster preparedness plans.
“There’s
a tendency to think that a large-scale disaster is not going to happen ‘where
I live,’” said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills. “We should all
realize that storms, floods, earthquakes, fires and man-made disasters can strike
at any time and anywhere. Taking responsibility for your own post-disaster recovery
is a good step toward protecting your family, your business and your community.”
The
U.S. Small Business Administration is one of many federal, state, and local government
and private sector coalition partners participating in this September’s National
Preparedness Month.
The Administrator’s
video can be found at www.youtube.com/sba.
To
prepare for disasters, SBA offers the following tips:
Develop
a solid emergency response plan. Find evacuation routes from the home or business
and establish meeting places. Make sure everyone understands the plan beforehand.
Keep emergency phone numbers handy. Business owners should designate a contact
person to communicate with other employees, customers and vendors. Homeowners,
renters and business owners should ask an out-of-state friend, colleague or family
member to be a “post-disaster” point of contact, supporting the flow
of information about short-term relocations, recovery, additional sources of assistance,
etc.
Make sure you have adequate insurance
coverage. Disaster preparedness begins with having adequate insurance coverage—at
least enough to rebuild your home or business. Homeowners and business owners
should review their policies to see what is or isn’t covered. Companies should
consider business interruption insurance, which helps cover operating costs during
the post-disaster shutdown period. Flood insurance is essential. To find out more
about the National Flood Insurance Program, visit the Web site at www.floodsmart.gov.
Copy
important records. It’s a good idea to back up vital records and information
saved on computer hard drives, and store that information at a distant offsite
location in fireproof safe deposit boxes. You should have copies/back ups of important
documents ready to take with you if you have to evacuate
Create
a “Disaster Survival Kit.” The kit should include a flashlight,
a portable radio, extra batteries, first-aid supplies, non-perishable food, bottled
water, a basic tool kit, plastic sheeting and garbage bags, cash, and a digital
camera to take pictures of the property damage after the storm.
More
preparedness tips for businesses, homeowners and renters are available on the
SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/disasterassistance.
The
Institute for Business and Home Safety (www.disastersafety.org
) also has information on protecting your home or business. To learn more about
developing an emergency plan, visit the DHS’s Ready Campaign Web site at
www.ready.gov or call 1-800-BE-READY to receive free materials.
Following
a disaster, the SBA makes low-interest loans to homeowners, renters and non-farm
businesses of all sizes. Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace
damaged real estate. Individuals may borrow up to $40,000 to cover losses to personal
property.
Non-farm businesses and non-profit
organizations of any size may apply for up to $2 million to repair or replace
disaster damaged business assets and real property. Small businesses that suffered
economic losses as a direct result of the declared disaster may apply for a working
capital loan up to $2 million, even if the property was not physically damaged.
To
learn more about the SBA’s disaster assistance program, visit the Web site
at www.sba.gov/disasterassistance.
