Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and wildfires have become all too common. No part of the country seems immune.

If you're struck by one of these disasters, you’re going to need money. The good news is that there are numerous financial resources available to help you rebuild.

First things first: Assess and document the damage, secure your property and file an insurance claim. Then, contact the company to which you send your mortgage payments. These companies all have programs that will allow you to skip your payments for a period of time -- but they need to hear from you first.

When it comes to insurance, your policy might not cover all the damages -- or you might not have coverage at all, as often happens with floods. So look into these resources as quickly as possible.

Much of what you are about to read comes from “Disaster Recovery: A Resource for Homeowners,” a guide created by the Mortgage Bankers Association. You can download and read the entire 17-page report at mba.org/disasterrecovery.

You can use a good chunk of your home's equity to finance repairs. Consider a second mortgage -- a line of credit that allows you to access funds as you need them -- or a refinance, in which you take out a new loan for more than you owe now and take the difference in cash.

Unfortunately, if your house has been destroyed completely, your property is currently worth only as much as the land it sits on. Your equity will have been all but wiped out, and you’ll have to recoup it through the insurance claims process.

That's often a long road. If you need to look elsewhere for funds in the meantime, Uncle Sam can play a big role.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides financial assistance to people who are underinsured or uninsured and in serious need. The help may include money for temporary housing, repairs to the house, medical expenses and even funeral costs. But there are application deadlines, so don’t hesitate: Don’t even wait to hear back from your insurer first. For more information, see fema.gov/assistance/individual/program.

The Small Business Administration offers low-interest loans in areas declared major disasters by the president. Despite the agency’s title, you don’t need to own a business to apply: The loans are open to homeowners and renters, as long as they are either underinsured or uninsured. Businesses and most private nonprofits are eligible, too, but coverage is not extended to second homes or vacation houses -- only primary residences.

SBA loans will help you repair or rebuild your house. You can also use the funds to replace lost or damaged clothing, furniture, appliances and vehicles. You can’t use the money to upgrade or enlarge your house, of course, but depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible to borrow additional funds for improvements that will help prevent future issues -- for instance, adding a sump pump to reduce the risk of future flood damage.

For more information, see sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance or call 800-659-2955.

Other federal agencies can be of help, too. The Federal Housing Administration has no-down-payment loans for folks whose primary residences (single-family houses only) were seriously damaged or destroyed in designated disaster areas. Note: You have to apply within a year of the disaster declaration. See hud.gov/fha.

With another FHA program, 203(k) loans, you can refinance your mortgage and include the cost of major repairs. Again, owner-occupied, single-family residences are eligible; investment properties and vacation homes are not. Owners of condominiums and townhouses can use the program for interior projects.

These loans are not as widely offered as others, but they can cover complicated projects and extensive improvements. For details, see hud.gov/program_offices/housing/sfh/203k/203k--df.

For people in rural areas, the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development branch offers loans for essential repairs to low- and very-low-income homeowners, typically those who earn less than 80% of their area’s median income. Borrowers must be unable to secure affordable credit elsewhere. For details, see rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-programs/single-family-housing-repair-loans-grants.

Meanwhile, the Internal Revenue Service offers income tax relief to people residing in any FEMA-designated disaster area. You’ll get a stay on filing and paying your taxes for up to six months, and you can choose to claim your disaster-related losses on your returns for either the year they were incurred or the prior year.

Moreover, qualified disaster-relief payments can be excluded from your gross income. The IRS says that affected taxpayers can omit "amounts received from a government agency for reasonable and necessary personal, family, living or funeral expenses, as well as for the repair or rehabilitation of their home, or for the repair or replacement of its contents." For details, see irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations.

Taxpayers in disaster areas may also be eligible for expanded access to their retirement funds. Not only that, but the amount withdrawn may be exempt from the 10% early distribution tax.

Some state and local governments offer disaster relief; check their websites to see if you are eligible. Another good resource is 211.org, which helps people locate local resources, including those related to natural disasters.

And don’t forget the American Red Cross (redcross.org), which offers immediate financial aid in addition to shelter and supplies for disaster victims.

Every few years, federal regulators issue warnings to banks and credit unions about the dangers of senior financial abuse.

But it isn’t just up to financial institutions to spot instances of potential fraud. It’s also up to anyone with a family member or friend who’s getting up in years -- especially if they own their home.

Elderly homeowners are a prime target for swindlers, and it’s easy to see why. Not only are seniors viewed as vulnerable and trusting, but homeowners aged 62 and older are sitting atop roughly $14 trillion of housing wealth.

Unfortunately, an AARP report says that older adults lose around $28.3 billion annually to some form of financial exploitation. And the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, part of the U.S. Treasury Department, says banking institutions filed more than 155,000 elder financial victimization reports in the 12-month period ending in June 2023.

These reports don’t break out figures related solely to the housing sector. But financial exploitation can take many forms, as do those who prey on unsuspecting seniors. Sometimes, for example, rogue loan officers or real estate agents persuade an elderly homeowner to sign false loan documents and keep the proceeds for themselves. Sometimes, they even take over the senior’s house.

More often, though, the culprit is a family member. Verified cases by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services found that two-thirds of elderly fraud perpetrators were family members.

Sons are most likely to rip off a parent or grandparent, according to a MetLife study. But fake paramours, fly-by-night contractors, bogus handymen and shady housing professionals are guilty, too.

Most mortgage lenders, real estate professionals and contractors act lawfully. But some don’t. In one instance, a loan broker persuaded a widow with dementia to take out a reverse mortgage on her house. In another case, a tax preparer took total control of all the assets of a 65-year-old client. In yet another, a popular hairstylist persuaded three women to let him manage their real estate investments. When one died, it was discovered that he had depleted her bank and investment accounts, and her home now belonged to him.

The message here is clear: If there is an elder in your life who is considering a reverse mortgage, home equity loan or some other type of financing, or is even just hiring someone to remodel a kitchen or bath, gently talk to them about their plans. Make sure it makes financial sense.

This, of course, assumes your senior is willing to discuss their financial situation; many keep that information private for fear of losing their independence. But if you can get them to open up, talk about the pros and cons of their plans together.

In situations involving reverse mortgages, in which borrowers extract equity from their properties, federal rules mandate that borrowers meet with an independent housing counselor for a full explanation of what is involved. But there are no such protections for other types of loans or for dealing with contractors. Consequently, you should make sure your senior knows exactly what they are getting into.

Here are a few questions to ask to make sure they aren't being exploited:

-- Find out who is really going to benefit: the senior, or someone else. Red flags include caregivers who isolate elders from their family and friends, new “best friends,” missing belongings, and bank and investment statements that are no longer being received by the senior.

In one case, a woman established a joint checking account to help another woman she'd befriended in a senior computer class pay her bills. Only after one of her checks bounced did she discover most of her money was gone. In another instance, a caregiver in a group home diverted the Social Security checks originally sent to more than 30 residents to her own home.

-- Try to determine if the senior is being coerced, and if so, by whom. Be particularly aware of in-home helpers, including personal care attendants and meal service providers, who have access to the senior’s financial papers and identifying information. Pay special attention to those hired directly from newspaper ads or referral services that are not screened by a local government agency.

In one case, a caregiver hired by an 84-year-old bedridden senior forged the senior’s signature to create a false power of attorney. The caregiver then proceeded to put his name on the senior’s accounts and replace the senior’s home address with his own. Luckily, the senior took action when he realized he was no longer receiving monthly bank statements.

-- Determine if the senior’s needs can be solved in another way. For example, there are several alternatives to a reverse mortgage, and there may be other choices besides a second mortgage to pay for a needed remodeling project.

If this is beyond your area of expertise, consider calling in a trusted or recommended professional for advice.

When a family member passes away, their loved ones sometimes become homeowners unexpectedly.

If the inherited house was owned free and clear, with no encumbrances, the heirs can do with the place what they want. Typically, they sell it, but sometimes they move in and make it their own.

It becomes complicated, though, if there’s a mortgage on the property. And while it can take time to decide what to do with a house in such cases, you should act quickly to make sure the monthly payments don't skip a beat. Otherwise, the property could end up in foreclosure.

The same applies for anyone who ends up with a house after a divorce, or for domestic abuse victims whose abusers are ordered out of the house.

In all of these instances, there's a lot you’ll need to know: the amount of the mortgage payments; where to send them; the loan’s terms, including the interest rate; and the number of payments remaining. You’ll need to know your rights.

Unfortunately, according to a new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, help from the loan servicer -- the company hired by the lender to collect payments and pay your taxes and insurance -- isn’t always forthcoming in such situations.

The report says some heirs face “significant challenges” when dealing with loan servicers, including months-long delays and strong-arm pressure tactics about refinancing the mortgage.

There are laws against this type of bad behavior. Federal rules and mortgage program guidelines require servicers to help successor-owners obtain the information they need to manage the existing mortgage and, if the new owner chooses, to assume the loan. Servicers are compelled to let you know what documents are needed to prove your ownership interest, and to process your requests in a timely manner.

But the CFPB has fielded enough complaints that it has seen fit to remind investors and servicers that they must comply with all applicable laws and rules.

According to the agency, people report being told they must refi rather than being offered options for managing the current mortgage. These folks describe “significant stress” at the prospect of taking on unexpected debt at a time when they are still grieving.

In one complaint, a Virginia woman who lost her husband said she had been trying to take over their joint mortgage so she and her children could remain in their familiar home. She said she supplied the required documents, “often multiple times,” but when she called for updates, she was given “inconsistent explanations for deficiencies.”

Then, she told the CFPB, the company tried “to strong-arm me into refinancing the mortgage.”

Many heirs also wait excessively long times for servicers to process their requests, the report says. Some complain that servicers repeatedly request the same documentation or fail to respond to inquiries. And when delays occur, they report incurring legal fees and becoming delinquent on the loan.

A Missouri heir told the CFPB that for 156 days after her husband passed, she had tried to assume their mortgage. The servicer acknowledged her request but said it does not "have a program to remove a name from the loan. ... In order to remove a party from the loan, the loan would have to be refinanced,” the servicer said.

In some cases, servicers are refusing to release the original borrower from liability, even though that person is either dead or no longer resides in the house.

Many successors report being told they cannot assume the loan, even when they demonstrate their ability and willingness to pay it. They describe "showing months or years of making on-time loan payments from their bank accounts, high credit scores, good income and lengthy employment histories and still being steered to a costly refinance instead of having their assumption promptly processed.”

This happens largely in divorce cases in which a court orders an ex-spouse to be removed from the mortgage. For example, a Washington woman, with her ex's full cooperation and knowledge, applied to take over their house's mortgage. She reported exchanging at least 30 emails with the servicer, each time being asked for additional documentation. She had provided multiple bank statements, pay stubs and investment accounts to prove she could handle the monthly payments.

Nevertheless, “they continue to push out my request,” she said. “There is no reason for the delay. I was told it would have been easier to just refinance for the loan, which would be about (a) 4-5% higher interest rate.”

Domestic violence survivors also report that servicers continue sending account information to their abusers and require their consent for account changes, potentially creating threats to the survivor’s safety.

The CFPB report detailed a complaint from a Texas woman who had divorced her husband on domestic violence grounds and was trying to make their house payments to avoid going into foreclosure. Her ex tried to sabotage the process, and the lender didn’t help, either. All communications from the servicer were going to him and him alone.

“I asked them to please send copies of communication(s) to the home on the loan and they would not,” she said, adding that it took the company months to even add her phone number to the account.

"I’ve been trying to save this loan ... (but) they've refused to cooperate, communicate or accept any payment from me.”