You’ve driven through a flurry of embers to safety. You’ve found high ground as floodwaters rushed in. You’ve dodged the immediate danger to life and limb, and then the financial reality hits. For those forced from their homes due to fire or flood—in many cases with little more than the clothes on their backs—there are few things more daunting than having to then navigate unexpected costs, insurance claims, and bills that still need to be paid. 

The financial fallout can last for years

“The impacts of these natural disasters are much broader than just that physical damage. It can disrupt virtually every aspect of someone’s financial life,” said Ali Harris-Saunders, with the non-profit Credit Counselling Society. 

She divides the financial impacts into near- and long-term. Near-term includes the cost of accommodations, food, and other essentials during an evacuation, along with lost income and repairs to damaged property. Longer-term considerations could include reduced property values, higher insurance premiums, and the debt that often racks up once emergency funds are depleted. 

“I find that.