Turns out men and women have some very different views on cars. Check out the results of this study:

No matter where we live, none of us are immune to disasters. We all need to have an emergency plan for when disaster strikes — and that plan should include our dogs and other pets.

Here is a checklist to help you prepare:

• Put a rescue alert sticker in your window so emergency workers know there’s a pet inside during a fire or other disaster. If you evacuate with your pet, write “evacuated” over the sticker if you have time.
• Pack a disaster kit for the whole family, including enough pet food and water for five days, a leash and waste disposal bags. Include a photo of your pet, too, in case you get separated.
• If your pet spends time alone outdoors, bring him inside at the first sign of a storm or disaster. Left alone, a frightened or disoriented pet may run away during a crisis.
• If you have to evacuate, take your pet with you. If it’s not safe for you, it’s not safe for him. Take a comfortable pet carrier, large enough for him to stand up, because he may have to stay in it for hours at a time. Plan ahead where you will board him if he’s not allowed in an emergency shelter. Your veterinarian and local animal shelters may have suggestions.
• Make sure your dog has an identification tag, including your cell phone number. Ideally, he should also have a microchip, in case he slips his collar.
•  If you’re waiting out an emergency at home, keep your pet and disaster kit with you in the safest room in your house. That may be a room away from windows during a tornado or a room upstairs or with high counters during a flood.

For more suggestions, check out these excellent resources from ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States.

No matter where we live, none of us are immune to floods and other disasters. We all need to have an emergency plan — and that plan should include dogs and other pets.

Here is a checklist to help you prepare:

• Put a rescue alert sticker in your window so emergency workers know there’s a pet inside during a fire or other disaster. If you evacuate with your pet, write “evacuated” over the sticker if you have time.
• Pack a disaster kit for the whole family, including enough dog food and water for five days, a leash and waste disposal bags. Include a photo of him, too, in case you get separated.
• If your pet spends time alone outdoors, bring him inside at the first sign of a storm or disaster. Left alone, a frightened or disoriented pet may run away during a crisis.
• If you have to evacuate, take your pet with you. If it’s not safe for you, it’s not safe for him. Take a comfortable pet carrier, large enough for him to stand up, because he may have to stay in it for hours at a time. Plan ahead where you will board him if he’s not allowed in an emergency shelter. Your veterinarian and local animal shelters may have suggestions.
• Make sure your dog has an identification tag, including your cell phone number. Ideally, he should also have a microchip, in case he slips out of his collar.
•  If you’re waiting out an emergency at home, keep your pet and disaster kit with you in the safest room in your house. That may be a room away from windows during a tornado or a room upstairs or with high counters during a flood.

For more suggestions, check out these excellent resources from ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States.

Are your important records protected in the event of a flood, fire or other natural disaster? It’s a fact: Too few homeowners and small businesses back up their important documents. The Internal Revenue Service offers these tips for making sure you’re ready for anything:

Create a backup. Keep a set of backup records in a safe place. The backups should be stored away from the originals. Keeping a backup set of records –– such as bank statements, tax returns and insurance policies –– is easier now that many financial institutions provide statements and documents electronically. Records that aren’t available online can be scanned into an electronic format and stored on an external hard drive.

Document valuables. It’s always a good idea to  photograph or record the contents of your home or business. The IRS has a disaster loss workbook, Publication 584, which can help taxpayers compile a room-by-room list of belongings. Again, it’s crucial to store this inventory somewhere other than your home or business, perhaps with a trusted friend or family member.

Update emergency plans. Create an emergency plan and review it annually. Preparedness requires change over time. For a business, it’s a good idea to update an emergency plan when new employees are hired or any other major changes are made, such as moving to a new location.

For more tips designed to help you prepare your home and business for disaster, go here.