Everyone knows you should always be prepared in case of an emergency. Whether you learned it in your Scout Troop or had one of those parents who got to the airport four hours early with both printed-out confirmation emails of airline tickets and actual boarding passes, it’s something we all know to be true. But preparing for an emergency can be overwhelming, and the one piece of “advice” that always gets me the most is the “don’t forget your important documents” part of an evacuation.
When you’re fleeing your home from a wildfire, flooding, a hurricane, or a tornado, the idea of suddenly being able to remember every important document in your house, where they are, and if they’re actually worthy enough to find when you’re in an evacuation, is just too much.
Of course, some disasters leave you only seconds to evacuate. Not everything can be planned in advance, so knowing what an important document actually is can help alleviate a lot of stress as you make sure your kids, family, and pets are all safe.
What is an important document?
Not only do you want to grab these items so they don’t get destroyed, but they may also be incredible resources and necessary items for recovery efforts. The official Ready.gov website offers some guidance — and if you can make copies of these, even better. Here’s what you should have on hand when you evacuate:
- original birth certificates (these can be used to establish family relations should you get separated)
- Social Security cards (for any government assistance you might need from FEMA, etc.)
- photo ID
- military ID
- any identifying information on your pets (in case you need to be reunited)
The easiest way to handle these documents in case of a disaster is to have them always ready. Whether in a binder you keep by your front door or a fire-proof safe, ensuring these items are safe and contained — all year long — is hugely beneficial to finding them in case of an evacuation. You can just grab them and go. If you’re undergoing an emergency evacuation or didn’t have time to think about grabbing anything other than your loved ones, a fire-proof safe can help protect your items in certain situations.
What other items should you take with you?
Try to think about what’s irreplaceable. And let me be clear — you can get new copies of birth certificates and Social Security cards. Don’t run back into a burning house to grab a copy of your marriage license, you know? But there are some other items to keep in mind. You may have access to many of these online, but knowing where they are (maybe in the same spot as your birth certificates) can be beneficial if you need to run out the door. These aren’t must-take items, but Ready.gov recommends having them on hand, depending on your situation and circumstances:
- insurance policies and cards
- immunization records
- health insurance cards
- sources of income
- tax statements
- housing payments
- list of important phone numbers (in case your phone dies or gets damaged)
When it comes to sentimental items, being prepared is key. If you know where photo albums and recipe books and baby books are and can easily grab them in case of an evacuation, that’s your best bet.
Ready.gov does recommend taking pictures of old photos to store digitally, but this is a task you’d probably want to do well in advance of an evacuation. So, if you’re thinking now of all the sentimental items you won’t want to lose in an evacuation, go ahead and take that picture or store it in its own special spot that’s easy for you to grab. The same idea applies to saving copies of files, photos, and more on a flash drive that you can take with you or to a cloud-based storage service.
Firefighters and other emergency service professionals frequently suggest having a packed “go bag” or “bug-out” bag at home that you can easily slip your emergency documents binder into if you need to evacuate your home. In addition to your other important documents, your “go bag” should include physical maps with local escape routes.
The Bottom Line
Preparing beforehand is your best option — even if there’s never been an earthquake, flood, wildfire, or other catastrophic disaster in your area.
Investing in a fire-proof or watertight box will always be a smart move. You can even make copies of your important documents and keep them in a binder or folder, storing the originals in the safes. You can also make digital copies of everything, and then, if you’re stuck without anything, you’ll at least have a little trail to get you started with whatever information you need.
