Essential Documentation You’ll Need in an Emergency

As Tropical Storm Sandy hurtles toward the east coast, those in its path are stocking up on essentials like food, water, flashlights, and other emergency supplies. However, one aspect of preparedness that is sometimes overlooked is preparing copies of important documentation.

Documents may not seem as essential as food and water, but you will need them for things like identification of property and insurance claims. There were cases after Hurricane Katrina where people were barred from entering homes unless they could provide proof of ownership because of the looting. Even if your situation is not as dire as facing a destructive storm, it is always a good idea to have copies of these documents and keep them organized and accessible for when you need them.

Have more than one copy of these documents, both physical and digital, and keep them in several secure locations, such as a lock box and encrypted flash drives.

According to TacticalInelligence.net, for each member of your family (where applicable), you should have

-drivers license (front and back)

-passports

-insurance cards

-social security cards

-credit cards (front and back)

-proof of ownership or lease of your residence

-vehicle, boats etc. proof of ownership (copy of title, bill of sale etc)

-bank account numbers and other financial information

-legal documents and wills

-a recent family photo with names

-phone and address information for in and out-of-state emergency contacts

-birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates

-important business documents

-photos of valuables for documentation of insurance claims

-medical records (immunization etc.)

Besides the traditional ways of scanning hard copies and saving the copies on flash drives, you can also create an “in case of emergency everything” Google document; you can store it securely online and share it with family and friends who will need access to your information.

Having copies of your essential information is part of being prepared before, during, and after emergencies. Don’t get caught without your papers in a storm, or you may be up a creek without a paddle.


photo credit: Keith Williamson via photopin cc

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