Get help dealing with 2020's weather emergencies

used with permission from FTC.gov by Colleen Tressler So far, this year has seen devastating wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes and flooding, crippling snow and ice storms. These kinds of severe weather and natural disasters can occur anywhere — sometimes with little warning. It’s one thing to prepare your family, pets, and property for these events. It’s another to protect your personal information and finances from scammers who use weather emergencies to cheat people. The FTC’s site, Dealing with Weather Emergencies, has practical tips to help you prepare for, deal with, and recover from a weather emergency. Like all the FTC’s materials, the site is mobile-friendly, so you’ll have ready access to information when and where you need it. The site has four sections:

• Preparing for a Weather Emergency
• Staying Alert to Disaster-related Scams
• Getting Back on Your Feet Financially
• Resources

Active in your community? There’s also a customizable one-page handout, Picking Up the Pieces after a Disaster, with key tips drawn from the FTC’s site. You can add local consumer protection and emergency service contacts, print copies, and distribute them throughout your community. Please share this information with family, friends, neighbors and colleagues. Thank you, and stay safe.