Hazard · The bank, the job, the shelf
Financial shock and economic disruption
Cash in small bills, papers you can grab, and food you already rotate. That is the official version.
Federal steps in this chapter do not change by state. Local orders for Arizona come from Arizona Department of Emergency Management.
5 min read · Updated October 2026
Money you can reach
Ready.gov:
- Consider an emergency savings account.
- Keep a small amount of cash at home in a safe place, in small bills.
- Get property (homeowners or renters), health, and life insurance, and review what each policy covers.
- Download the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK).
Papers
Ready.gov's list, and why each matters:
| Document | Why |
|---|---|
| Photo ID | Proves who household members are |
| Birth certificates | Help keep or re-establish contact with family |
| Social Security cards | Needed to apply for FEMA assistance |
| Insurance policies | Re-establish financial accounts |
| Sources of income | Keep up payments and credit |
| Tax statements | Apply for FEMA assistance |
| Health insurance and medical information | Keep care going without interruption |
Benefits that keep arriving
Ready.gov:
- If you get federal benefits, use direct deposit: 800-333-1795.
- Or use the Direct Express card: 877-212-9991.
Scams follow shocks
Ready.gov warns that scammers exploit financial fear with work-from-home offers, debt consolidation, and student-loan repayment pitches. Report anyone claiming to be a government agent to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.
Food is a financial plan
A rotated pantry (see the Pantry and Food chapters) is the part of this you can eat.
BYU Extension's long-term storage plan lists, per adult per year: 24 #10 cans of wheat (30+ years); 12 cans of white rice (30+ years); 12 cans of legumes (25 years).
Checklist
Checks stay in this browser.
Sources
Public pages this chapter leans on. They win if anything here is out of date.
- Ready.gov — Financial preparedness
Cash, documents, insurance, scams
- Ready.gov — Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (PDF)
EFFAK forms
- CFPB — Your disaster checklist (PDF)
Financial checklist
- Ready.gov — Older adults
Direct deposit and Direct Express numbers
- BYU — An Approach to Longer-Term Food Storage (PDF, 2024)
Per-adult storage amounts