(MONEY Magazine) -- Three-quarters of families are unprepared for natural disasters, says Russell Bissell of the American Red Cross. Don't be one of them. Stow some water and nonperishable food (see fema.gov for a supplies checklist). You can protect your home from power outages and flooding with these four projects.
Cost: $1,000 to $2,000, with wiring
A portable generator keeps essential electrical items running during blackouts from your heat, refrigerator, and key lights to your Internet and cordless phones. It's a small gas-powered motor on wheels that you start with a lawnmower-like pull cord and jack into a receptacle in an exterior wall of your house.
Make sure your electrician installs a transfer switch, which disengages the utility power when you connect the generator, says electrical engineer John Drengenberg of Underwriters Laboratories.
Cost: $500 to $800, including installation by an electrician
When the power kicks back on after a blackout, it often comes with a rush of electricity that fries any silicon chips in its path. You probably have plug-in surge protectors for your computer and home theater, but nowadays there are also expensive-to-replace computer controls inside kitchen and laundry appliances and heating and cooling equipment.
A whole-house surge suppressor will shield everything. Choose one that accepts phone and cable wiring too, because surges can come through those lines as well.
Cost: $500 to $1,000 for a new installation; $800 to $1,000 to add battery backup to a new or existing pump
Heavy rains and snows -- as well as plumbing and gutter problems -- can fill your basement or crawlspace with water, causing a big mess and destroying belongings stored down there.
Protect yourself with a sump pump, which sits in a hole in the basement floor and automatically turns on when that pit fills. The best units include an alarm to alert you to flooding and a second, battery-operated pump that kicks on if the primary one stops working.
Cost: $125 for the Four Person Deluxe Home Survival Kit, redcrossbayarea.org
What if you need to get out quickly? A home survival kit contains critical supplies such as thermal blankets, water-purification tablets, waterproof matches, and a Swiss Army knife. Add some cash, toiletries, and a week's supply of prescription medications, and you'll be prepared for anything.
Overnight Avg Rate | Latest | Change | Last Week |
---|---|---|---|
30 yr fixed | 3.80% | 3.88% | |
15 yr fixed | 3.20% | 3.23% | |
5/1 ARM | 3.84% | 3.88% | |
30 yr refi | 3.82% | 3.93% | |
15 yr refi | 3.20% | 3.23% |
Today's featured rates:
Index | Last | Change | % Change |
---|---|---|---|
Dow | 32,627.97 | -234.33 | -0.71% |
Nasdaq | 13,215.24 | 99.07 | 0.76% |
S&P 500 | 3,913.10 | -2.36 | -0.06% |
Treasuries | 1.73 | 0.00 | 0.12% |
Company | Price | Change | % Change |
---|---|---|---|
Ford Motor Co | 8.29 | 0.05 | 0.61% |
Advanced Micro Devic... | 54.59 | 0.70 | 1.30% |
Cisco Systems Inc | 47.49 | -2.44 | -4.89% |
General Electric Co | 13.00 | -0.16 | -1.22% |
Kraft Heinz Co | 27.84 | -2.20 | -7.32% |
Bankrupt toy retailer tells bankruptcy court it is looking at possibly reviving the Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us brands. More |
Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford charts her career path, from her first job to becoming the first openly gay CEO at a Fortune 500 company in an interview with CNN's Boss Files. More |
Honda and General Motors are creating a new generation of fully autonomous vehicles. More |
In 1998, Ntsiki Biyela won a scholarship to study wine making. Now she's about to launch her own brand. More |
Whether you hedge inflation or look for a return that outpaces inflation, here's how to prepare. More |