HURRICANE SEASON: Think you dodged the bullet because you don't live on the coasts of Florida or Texas? Hurricane season runs through November.

Some tips from the National Hurricane Center and Chubb Corp. to protect yourself from severe storms and flooding:

— Plan ahead. Discuss an evacuation plan with your family, stock up on nonperishable food and emergency supplies, and make a plan for what to do with your pets.

— When entering your home or a room with water damage, be careful if doors stick — it could mean the ceiling is sagging.

— Turn off electrical and gas sources, even if service is out in the area.

— Secure a storage area in a cool, dry room with good air circulation for wet valuables, photos, birth certificates and deeds. Stand damp books with their spines facing up, and fan the pages every few hours.

— Document structural damage and inventory your possessions as best as possible with video or photographs..

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DISASTERS AND YOUR STOCK: A major crash usually weighs heavily on an airline's stock, but the impact is felt less heavily in the share price of the plane's manufacturer, according to a recent study.

Airlines typically suffer for up to three months after a major catastrophe, compared with only a week and a half for manufacturing companies, according to San Diego State University researchers.

They also found that disasters have little or no effect on the long-term pricing of any stock, according to Kuntara Pukthuanthong-Le, an SDSU finance professor who led the study.

"We were surprised that stock was impacted as much as it was in the short-term, especially in instances where the market should have recognised that it was an accident that had occurred," she said.

The declines are a result of investors' anticipation of legal liability claims, which the airlines are more likely to see than the manufacturers.