Even with early warning systems and high-tech radar, severe weather can blow in fast. Make sure you’re ready when a storm heads your way.

Before severe weather hits:

Make sure you are insured and your policies are comprehensive and up to date. Review your insurance coverage at least once a year or after any major life event. Particularly if you live in an area prone to floods, sinkholes, earthquakes, tornadoes or hurricanes, consider purchasing a special policy rider to cover damage from natural disasters, which is excluded in many homeowners’ insurance policies. Regularly take video or pictures of your home and its contents to ensure that you can recoup costs, especially for valuable items.

In the case of personal or property damage:

You’ll want to be sure you’ve accounted for paper or electronic versions of mortgage and property deeds, car titles, Social Security cards, home/health/car insurance policies, birth certificates, wills and legal documents, and any other important records. Place papers and electronic data storage devices in a plastic bag with a tight seal or a container like those used by boaters, fishermen and divers. Take these documents with you if you evacuate your home or city.

How Regions can help:

In advance of expected storms, visit your local branch or ATM and withdraw enough cash to cover meals and accommodations for up to three days. Emergency funds can be a smart investment when you need to cover unexpected expenses; learn how much you should set aside with our Save for a Rainy Day calculator.

Sign up for Regions Online Banking to keep track of your accounts, transfer funds and pay bills from anywhere you have internet access. And you can bank anytime, anywhere with Regions Mobile Banking.