As Hurricane Irene approaches, here's a helpful reminder: Your household's hurricane preparation kit should include key financial forms such as tax documents, benefits files and bank account information.

The American Institute of CPAs, which has a large office in Durham, has posted disaster tips compiled with the American Red Cross at its financial literacy site here.

Click "Read More" for some of the documents you should have in your disaster preparation kit. While some of this may seem like overkill, these forms can be critical if your home is destroyed.

Less than two weeks after hundreds of utility workers streamed to this area to help with tornado recovery efforts, hundreds from this region are now returning the favor in storm-stricken Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.

In all, Progress Energy and Duke Energy have sent more than 1,000 utility workers to help with power restoration efforts in the wake of monster storms that killed about 300 people in the South. Those workers have been sent from both utilities' service areas in Carolinas as well as Florida, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

Additionally, rural cooperatives and municipal power agencies in this state have sent more than 150 linemen and technicians to provide emergency assistance.

Some could remain more than a week as they work long days and live out of hotels or emergency staging areas. In exchange for putting up with hardship conditions, long days and sore muscles, the workers are paid overtime pay from the get-go, without having to log 40 hours before qualifying for their 150 percent overtime rate.

ConAgra Foods officials said this morning the company has extensive insurance policies to cover financial losses caused by this month's explosion at its facility in Garner that made Slim Jim snack products.

The June 9 accident killed three people and shut down the packaging area of the plant. The explosion is believed to be caused by a natural gas eruption during the installation of water heating system. It is under investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

CEO Gary Rodkin and other company officials, speaking on a conference call to report fourth quarter earnings, said the property damage and related costs will be covered by property and liability insurance. In addition, business interruption insurance will substantially compensate the company for lost profits resulting from lost Slim Jim sales. Officials did not provide financial details.

This morning's comments echoed information the company issued this week in public filings. ConAgra is shifting some Slim Jim production to other facilities and outside producers. The Garner explosion and reduced Slim Jim output will not affect the company's financial health.

Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra is the maker of Chef Boyardee, Hunt's tomato sauce, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Marie Callender, Peter Pan and other brands.

Those who report the news often apply labels to terrible or urgent events: tragedy, disaster, crisis, emergency. Sometimes, those labels don't quite fit. We risk overstating the trouble.