I'm glad you and your cats are okay, FitStash.
About renters insurance: Two years ago our upstairs neighbors had a kitchen fire that quickly spiraled out of control. They were unhurt, but between fire and smoke damage and the sprinkler system going off most of their apartment was destroyed. The fire didn't spread to our unit but our kitchen and living room had to be torn apart due to water damage. It was crazy: One minute we're relaxing in our living room, the next there are three fire trucks outside and we're standing in six inches of snow in our pajamas being told that it could be two or three months before we can come home again.
The neighbors had no renters insurance. They had to throw out all of their furniture, their clothes, most of their electronics and a good percentage of their other belongings. The complex manager later said that it was likely the complex's insurance company would try to go after them personally for damages. (She was doubtful it would do any good but it did result in an immediate requirement that all renters buy insurance that includes liability coverage.)
At the time we paid around $115 per year for a renters policy that covered something like $35,000 worth of personal belongings and $100,000 in liability. While our neighbors stood in the parking lot shell-shocked and crying, waiting for the Red Cross to pick them up and take them to temporary lodgings, our insurance agent was offering to find us a hotel and instructing us on what to do next. We ended up not filing a claim - we stayed with relatives for a week (which was challenging for the reasons c mentioned) while the complex readied a temporary unit for us; and we had so few high-end possessions that we were able to act quickly and protect our furniture and electronics from water damage. But if we hadn't been home at the time it would've taken just a few minutes for the sprinklers to ruin most of our stuff.
We were saving for a house at the time and had around $70,000 in an ING account. We could have self-insured but felt renters insurance at $115 per year was a no-brainer for the reasons Starstuff and Lina mention. Another Mustachian consideration to make during events like this is the cleanup. The company our complex hired to dry out our apartment started circling like sharks once they learned we had renters insurance. They were relentless with cheap scare tactics and intimidation during one of the most stressful and vulnerable situations of our lives. They also provided some great comic material when they presented us with an inventory list of everything in our apartment and what they would charge to professionally clean it. In most cases their cleaning charge was much higher than what we paid for the item: for example, $70 to clean a $35 plastic chair.