What to Save During an Emergency

WHAT TO SAVE DURING AN EMERGENCY

You can't schedule an emergency or crisis like you can a dental appointment. So how can you ever really be prepared for one?
Hikingware.com recommends five areas where planning ahead will help you better survive the disasters that unavoidably come into our lives:

Legal Documents

• Identification, especially in this day in age, is extremely important. In light of a catastrophic disaster, your access to transportation, medical aid, and other public services could be hindered if you fail to provide some form of identification. Also, in the event that one of these forms are stolen during a break-in, your family is now extremely vulnerable to identity theft for what can easily be several years. Not only can this lead to feelings of discomfort and perpetual worry, but it can even have a devastating impact on your family’s financial security. Other types of documentation to consider are insurance policies, wills, health records, and financial documents.

Bank & Financial Information

• Everyone, individuals and families alike, should have an emergency fund that will last a minimum of six months. Emergency funds are best made up of guaranteed investments such as savings accounts, as opposed to stock portfolios. Many individuals even elect to establish both short-term and long-term funds. While the short-term fund can be for less-serious emergencies like car repairs, the long-term fund is for major emergencies and disasters. The information for these accounts, and all other financial accounts for that matter, should be stored someplace safe and secure. If you do not already have them, consider purchasing a fireproof safe or obtaining a safety deposit box. At the very least, have copies of major banking information put in a freezer bag to store in your freezer.

Home Safe Home

• It is almost impossible to prepare for all disasters, but what you can do is take a few preventative measures that are easy, affordable, and protect your home from a wide variety of disasters. One such measure is investing in a good security system for your home. It will protect your home against everything from the obvious break-ins, to fires, floods, and below-freezing temperatures. These systems provide constant monitoring whether you are at home or away, and can save you a lot of heartbreak and headaches along the way as well. Having peace of mind that you and the proper authorities will be alerted in the event of an emergency is immeasurable.

Survival Kits

• Disaster emergency kits are simply a collection of the important items an individual or family needs during the event of an emergency or disaster. These kits should be kept in a couple places around the house, and perhaps even a place of work. They should contain at least one gallon of water per person, three-day supplies of nonperishable food, clothing, a battery-powered radio, flashlight, extra batteries, basic tools, maps, and even necessary medications. This will allow you, and/or the members of your family, to not rely solely on aid relief. It will also provide you with the ability to stay put, as opposed to venturing out into a potentially dangerous environment.

Plans & Instructions

• The American Red Cross recommends developing a preparedness plan, unique to you and your family, that both prepares and informs in the event of a disaster or an emergency. It is also recommended to choose two separate meeting places outside of the home. One should be immediately outside of your house for sudden disasters, such as a fire. The other meeting place should be outside of your neighborhood to cover the chance of there being a mandatory evacuation. This also brings up the point that an evacuation plan should be put in place, practiced, and executed efficiently by family members at least once a year.