If you live in Florida, September and October are always key months for hurricanes. I have been very blessed and fortunate to have owned property for seven years on a barrier island on the east coast of Florida. It’s a very small beach town that is only a mile and a half long. There are two causeways to enter and leave the island. All the restaurants, bars, and businesses are small and locally owned. There are no chains on the island. Neighbors are friendly and sometimes nosey, but always willing to lend a hand. I love my little piece of paradise.
With the risk of hurricanes, I realized I needed to set aside a fund to fall back on in case of emergency. In Florida, it’s not a matter of “if” a hurricane is going to hit, it’s “when.” Thankfully, over the past seven years, I’ve been very fortunate and only been hit with two storms that did damage. Hurricane Irma was the worst and I did have damage including nine days with no power. Thankfully, it was not a total loss, as I had the money saved in my hurricane emergency fund. I was able to leave my home and relocate to safer location and was able to pay for a hotel and food while the hurricane was hitting the island.
At the end of the day, I definitely love living by the water. Part of living by the water means having to deal with the challenges of the hurricane season. . I’m very thankful that I have a separate emergency fund set aside, so if a hurricane comes this way, I know that I’ll stay safe.
About Josh McDermott: Josh is a brand ambassador for Quantum Rehab®. He is a public speaker and has served as a goodwill ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Josh lives in New York and loves to travel. Click here to learn more about Josh.