What documents should you keep close at hand in an emergency

One of the most important things to consider when thinking about Hurricane preparedness is what you need to preserve if something happens to your home. Fema has a great list on their website to help you get started. It is important to have all your documents filed before an emergency situation. You may also want to make copies and put the originals in a safety deposit box with the bank. This is a great practice in any season. 

If you are not a US citizen, it may be even more important to keep your immigration documents in a safe place. Most government many not be as efficient in helping you get a new one. Here is a checklist of the most important documents and items to preserve:

Item	Stored
Personal identification
Cash and coins
Credit cards
Extra set of house keys and car keys
Copies of the following:
Birth certificate
Marriage certificate
Driver's license
Social Security cards
Passports
Wills
Deeds
Inventory of household goods
Insurance papers
Immunization records
Bank and credit card account numbers
Stocks and bonds
Emergency contact list and phone numbers
Map of the area and phone numbers of places you could go

If you only have an idea where all these documents are, start putting them together now. Get a copy if all your insurance documents from your insurance providers and share them with your spouse if applicable. It is important that you are both on the same page on the protection available for your family. 

Source: http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/appendix_b.shtm

Hurricane Season Starts In 2 Weeks!

For those of us who live near the coastal areas, it’s time to review your plans for the Hurricane season which starts June 1^st.

National Hurricane Preparedness Week starts this Sunday, May 22 and runs until Saturday, May 28. The focus of the week is to educate people and raise awareness of the effects of hurricanes and the preparations we should undertake.

This is the week to complete your preparations for the hurricane season. Don’t wait until a hurricane is announced before you pick up the supplies you need. Last year I procrastinated and did not stock up early enough. Every store I went to had long lines and bare shelves!

I was reading the FEMA blog and I came across this website called the Great Hurricane Blowout.

It is a “hurricane preparedness campaign designed to help families get ready for hurricane season in advance allowing them to “breathe easy” if a storm does indeed head their way”. I checked out their website and learnt that there are 5 things you can do to “breathe easy”:

1. Prepare a family hurricane emergency plan.
2. Prepare a family hurricane emergency kit.
3. Plan for power outages.
4. Strengthen your home to withstand hurricane conditions.
5. Become a volunteer and receive hurricane response training.
   

I like the simple way the important steps are laid out making it easier to develop a hurricane preparedness plan.

Those with children will also appreciate the family friendly approach the organization has taken to make this a fun exercise that the family can work on together. Some of the steps include, “bling your kit” and “home hurricane hunt”, all activities that your children can participate in.

For a chance to win a home generator from Home Depot and to access other weekly contests, you can follow them on Facebook.

Please share with us any hurricane preparedness tips you may have.