A natural disaster like Hurricane Ike can be safely managed, assuming people follow the recommendations of local authorities, secure their homes, and if needed leave town.

A disaster can also put a strain on local law enforcement officials and thus ‘post-hurricane’ has always been a popular time for crooks to take advantage of empty homes and businesses.

As a victim of multiple robberies to both my business and home, I have the following advice for protecting your most valuable assets – your privacy, personal documents and identity:

1. Don’t put all of your important documents in one safe, if the safe can be removed from your home or is not fire and waterproof. I lost everything important, including passports, deeds and social security cards when a thief simply ripped the safe out of the wall and ran.

2. Prepare a grab bag of important items when a storm is approaching. You will need to leave quickly, and it is important not to leave important paperwork and ID’s behind.

3. Make sure if you are leaving computers, that they are backed up and password protected. Most thieves will simply try to pawn your electronics, and if there is no password, the next user will have full access.

4. If you use a browser-based password tool, make sure you set a master password.

5. Take prescriptions with you. Multiple times thieves have stolen medication.

6. Remember that in a loss of power or phone, most security systems don’t work. If they do work, it is very unlikely that the police or monitoring center will be notified.

Any natural disaster can be handled in a way as to minimize damage and loss. Taking a few precautions can help you protect you and your family.