Having the documents you need after a disaster will help you start the recovery process quickly. Think about the documents you would need to help identify yourself, request assistance, and important medical information.
In addition, take time now to think about the priceless personal items you want to protect from damage or take with you if you needed to suddenly evacuate your home.
Critical documents
Household identification: Think about documents that you need to identify yourself and household members, including children and pets, relationship, or status. These may include:
- Vital records (birth, marriage, adoption, divorce, and child custody papers)
- Passport, driverโs license, Social Security card, green card, visas, military service identification
- Pet ownership papers, identification tags, microchip information
Financial and legal documentation: If your home or income is impacted by a disaster, you will need documentation to request assistance from insurance providers and from government assistance programs.
- Housing: lease or rental agreement, mortgage, home equity line of credit, deed
- Vehicle: loan documents, vehicle identification number , registration, title
- Other financial obligations: utility bills, credit cards, student loans, alimony, child support, elder care, automatic payments such as gym memberships
- Financial accounts: checking, savings, debit cards, retirement, investment
- Insurance policies: homeowners, renters, auto, life, flood appraisals, photos, and lists of valuable items
- Source of income: pay stubs, government benefits, alimony, child support
- Tax statements: Federal/state income tax returns, property tax, vehicle tax
- Estate planning: will, trust, power of attorney
Medical information
- Health/dental insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, VA health benefits
- List of medications, immunizations, allergies, prescriptions, medical equipment and devices, pharmacy information
- Living will, medical power of attorney
- Caregiver agency contract or service agreement
Disabilities documentation
- Contact information for doctors/specialists, dentists, pediatricians, veterinarians
- Emergency or hotline contact information for household
- Employers/supervisors
- Schools
- Houses of worship
- Social service providers
- Homeowners Associations
- Home repair services: utilities, plumber, roofer, carpenter, electrician
Valuables and priceless personal items
- Priceless personal mementos, family photos, and keepsakes
- Possessions with monetary value, including jewelry, art, and collectibles
Protecting your documents and valuables
Once you have gathered your documents and valuables it is essential to protect them
- Consider storing paper copies of important documents at home in a fireproof and waterproof box or safe, in a bank safe deposit box, or with a trusted friend or relative. If you are using a safe deposit box, ask your bank or check state laws to confirm who can and cannot access it if the lessee dies or is incapacitated.
- Store electronic copies of important documents in a password-protected format on a removable flash or external hard drive in your fireproof and waterproof box or safe. You may also consider using a secure cloud-based service.
- Think about where you store valuable belongings and ways to better protect these items. If you have valuable items stored in a basement, you may want to move them to a higher location and put them in waterproof containers to avoid water damage. Or you may want to keep small items in a flood/fireproof home safe. You may also want to secure items that are displayed on shelves or walls if your home may be subject to high winds or earthquakes.
