Are You Prepared For An Unexpected Catastrophic Event?

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April 5, 2024 was the day I experienced an earthquake for the second time.

I experienced this earthquake in New York City.

When and where did I experience an earthquake for the first time?

In 2011. In New York City.

I have lived and traveled worldwide, and the only times I've ever experienced earthquakes were in an area not known for earthquakes: New York City.

Both times, I was in my apartment, sitting in front of my laptop computer.

The first time, I remember feeling my apartment building swaying a bit. I didn't think it was swaying because of an earthquake. I only found out later.

The second time, the experience was more like an intense shuddering throughout my apartment building.

At first, I thought my upstairs neighbors were moving something heavy.

When I realized the intense shuddering was coming from everywhere, my thoughts immediately returned to my experience in 2011.

Now, here's the thing: the shuddering lasted for a relatively long time: ~10-15 seconds (long enough to make me feel uncomfortable).

My thoughts after ~7 seconds:

"What do I do if the shuddering doesn't stop and gets more intense?"

"Do I run into the bathroom and jump into the bathtub?

"Do I stand under a door frame?"

"Do I run outside?"

I didn't know what to do. Then, the shuddering stopped. And I did what most people did: I went about my day.

But I'm not going to lie: I did think about the "what ifs."

For example, "What if the earthquake was catastrophic."

Why did I think this?

Because I am not prepared.

Well, not as prepared as I would like.

The truth is that most people don't think about those "what ifs."

When did you last think, "What if I lost everything because of an earthquake?"

When was the last time you thought of any worst-case scenarios?

Most people wake up in the morning, go through their morning ritual, commute to work, work, commute home from work, go through their evening ritual, and then go to sleep.

Remove "commute" from the above equation if you work from home.

Remove "commute" and "work" from the above equation if you're financially independent.

Either way, at no point throughout any day of the week do you ever think about any worst-case scenario.

Human beings are not wired like that. We are wired to believe that the sun will rise tomorrow morning. And we will wake up as the sun is rising.

Then, we go about our day. Full stop. Period.

Until you experience an earthquake in New York City.

I don't know about you, but as I mentioned earlier, I am not as prepared as I would like for an unexpected catastrophic event.

Sure, I have auto insurance, renters' insurance, an emergency fund, and some benefits that'll go to my significant other should anything horrific ever happen to me.

But, I don't have:

• A will

• Term life insurance

• Disability insurance

I'm an attorney.

And, I'm embarrassed to admit I do not have a will. Will and Trusts was one of my favorite classes in law school. Every time I finished class, I reminded myself of the importance of having a will.

That was ~17 years ago.

Those three things I admitted not having have been on my "to-do" list for years.

I just haven’t invested the time necessary to obtain any of one of those things.

Why? Because, like most people, I don’t think about worst-case scenarios.

It took an earthquake in New York City to remind me of the importance of being better prepared.

So, my question to you is: Are you prepared?

If not, or you are not as prepared as you would like, I encourage you to start taking the steps necessary to be prepared.

Especially if you have a family.

If you need a will, which I highly encourage you to obtain, please consult with an attorney.

A quick search online may provide many options for attorney referral services through state or local bar associations.

Be prepared.

You never know.

What caught my attention:

NYC has had at least 19 earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.4 or higher

Would you stop worrying about money if you had a net worth of $2.3 million?

You can find the collection of financial tools & resources that helped me grow from a 6-figure debt to a 6-figure net worth by clicking here.

Thanks for reading!

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