“Yesterday was tomorrow two days ago. Tomorrow will be yesterday two days from now.” These words were found on a whiteboard filled with schematics and project plans in my bank’s IT Department. What a great statement about procrastination! This article is about procrastination and getting ready for the 2009 Hurricane Season. Here are a few reminders about preparing for Hurricane Season and other potential disasters as well.

Hurricane hazards come in many forms: high winds, flooding, tornadoes and storm surges such as we experienced last year along the Gulf Coast. It is critical that we have a plan for our families and our businesses. According to the National Hurricane Center, “The first and most important thing anyone should do when facing a hurricane threat is to use common sense.” And common sense says we should have a plan.

Including financial plans in your preparations can be key to surviving and quick recovery. Here are my top suggestions for your finances:

(1) Sign up for direct deposit if you have not already to optimize the potential for having access to your funds without depending on the mail.

(2) Be sure you have a debit card or ATM card that works. If you receive a new card, be sure to test it before disaster strikes.

(3) Set up online banking so that as soon as Internet service is available, you can keep up with bill payments and your bank account.

(4) Keep on hand and protect your bank account numbers and any personal identification numbers in case you need to access them in the event of a disaster or if you have to evacuate.

(5) Keep some extra cash on hand. If the disaster is widespread, systems that support electronic funds access such as credit and debit cards may be down. You might also consider travelers’ checks or a gift card for extra funds besides cash.

These are financial preparations you can make in addition to the other disaster preparation checklists you have seen. For more information you can visit the National Hurricane Center at www.nhc.noaa.gov. There is a wealth of great preparation information there including checklists, a family disaster plan, information for seniors, a guide for assembling a hurricane evacuation kit, and much more. We are in Hurricane Season, and as Benjamin Franklin said, “You may delay, but time will not.”