Prepare for a Disaster or Catastrophe

State Farm Catastrophe Services®

Regardless of how much time you have to react to a disaster or catastrophe, you can do things well in advance to prepare.

What is a catastrophe?

A catastrophe typically:

Is a weather-related event or natural disaster that causes widespread damage.
Creates a large volume of insurance claims for damage to homes, businesses, cars, and other property located in a geographic area.
Is unpredictable (like an earthquake) or of varied strength (such as a tornado, wind, hail, or ice storm), or related to a forecasted or ongoing occurrence (such as a hurricane, tropical storm, flood, or wildfire).

When a catastrophe impacts a community, our claims personnel will respond, often with State Farm's Catastrophe Team members, to assist local agents and employees in helping our customers recover from the unexpected.

To prepare for any kind of disaster or catastrophe, pack a survival kit that includes:

Canned or other non-perishable food
Water in non-breakable containers
A first-aid kit
Any necessary prescription medicines
Portable radio and flashlight with fresh batteries
A portable cooking device
Extra clothing
Blankets
A tool kit, including heavy work gloves and nails
Your State Farm insurance policy numbers

Keep a complete inventory of your possessions in a bank safe deposit box or other safe place away from home.

Depending on where you live, you may be more at risk for certain disasters. Take some basic steps to protect yourself before and during:

Report damage caused by a catastrophe