As the Gulf Coast is threatened by yet another storm \u2014 this time Hurricane Ida \u2014 now is the time for residents to take steps now to protect themselves, their property and their finances:<\/p>\n
Take photos: It\u2019s a good idea for all homeowners anytime, but especially those in the path of a storm. Take photos and videos of your home and belongings, if you can do it safely, so you can better document any losses.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Protect your pets:\u00a0People forced to evacuate need to know if hotels or shelters will take their pets.\u00a0Pets Welcome<\/a>\u00a0is a good resource for that information for\u00a0shelters<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0hotels<\/a>. Additionally, many hotels relax their pet policies and waive pet fees during a natural disaster. Call ahead to find out. If people do have to leave their pets behind,\u00a0PETA recommends<\/a>\u00a0leaving at least 10 days\u2019 worth of food and water. Bring Fido offers these\u00a0additional tips<\/a>\u00a0to keep your dog safe during a\u00a0hurricane<\/a>\u00a0or other\u00a0emergency<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Be on guard for price gouging:\u00a0Louisiana<\/a>\u00a0and 36 other states have anti-price gouging laws that protect consumers from prices that are inflated after an emergency is declared. If a business is hiking prices for gas, water, building supplies, food, ice or other needs, people should report it to their state attorney general\u2019s office immediately. Here\u2019s a link to the AG\u2019s office in\u00a0Louisiana<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Watch out for fraud and scams:\u00a0After past disasters, con artists have posed as federal employees, insurance agents and housing inspectors to steal information and money.\u00a0Scam robocalls have promised victims money for simple information.<\/a>\u00a0People can take several steps to protect themselves: Ask for appropriate identification. Don\u2019t give out personal information such as Social Security numbers, bank account information, policy numbers or anything else to someone you didn\u2019t contact independently. Remember, FEMA doesn\u2019t charge anyone to submit an application.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n File claims quickly:\u00a0Report your claim as soon as possible because insurance companies generally process claims first come, first served, according to the Consumer Federation of America. Also, insurers should not raise your rate for filing a hurricane claim or fail to renew your policy for filing one, CFA said. Make detailed lists of losses, including living expenses and debris removal, and keep all receipts.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Don\u2019t give anyone a large deposit or down payment before they provide their goods or services. And don\u2019t pay in cash or with a wire transfer or gift card.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Vet contractors:\u00a0Homeowners should use only licensed contractors with verifiable references to work on their property. When interviewing contractors, homeowners should ask for proof of their insurance and bonding, and about their past experience repairing damage from flooding or other disasters and their mold remediation practices. Each state has a Board of Contractors that offers a full list of licensed contractors. Homeowners can also get\u00a0advice from FEMA<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Make sure your food is safe:\u00a0Hurricanes and tropical storms carry a lot of dangerous bacteria that can contaminate food or food preparation materials. The basic rule is if food has touched any flood waters, even if it\u2019s still in the packaging, it should be thrown out. Discard any containers with visible damage. Some undamaged food may be salvageable, if it didn\u2019t require refrigeration. Use bottled water until local authorities have confirmed the local water supply is safe. And completely disinfect all food preparation surfaces, utensils, baby bottles, cutting boards, etc<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Watch out for identity theft:\u00a0Identity theft can compound your problems after a hurricane. Storm victims are particularly vulnerable.\u00a0U.S. law allows anyone to freeze their credit files at no cost.\u00a0People can\u00a0find out more here about how to protect<\/a>\u00a0themselves from identity theft.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n