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No one is immune to disaster.

These past few months have underscored that message. Millions of people have been impacted by the natural and man-made disasters, which have included earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, flooding, and mass shootings.

As we recover or try to help others recover from these incidents, it is also a good time to make sure we are prepared for a disaster if we are directly affected. Most higher education institutions have a disaster recovery plan in place and your financial aid office may have an important role in that plan. Are you familiar with that plan, and does your office have a plan should disaster strike?

You may want to include the answers to these questions in your office disaster recovery plan:

• If your office is threatened in some way, do staff members know how to handle the situation?
• If you have to leave your office quickly, is there a plan to make sure there are no security risks with papers and information left unattended? Does your office have a "clean desk" policy?
• Do you know how to reach your staff members when they are not in the office? In addition to alternative phone numbers and email addresses, do you know how to reach a relative or close friend of other staff?

For you personally, how will you contact other family members in the event of a disaster? The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has an online brochure with tips for individuals and families.