Nancy Raney
In this day of fires, hurricanes and heaven forbid earthquakes (or worse), many of us have been faced with evacuating our homes or surroundings on very short notice. Recently a friend of mine had to evacuate her home with three minutes to spare. What do you take when you have merely minutes to escape?
Here are some suggestions:
– Wallet, checkbook, cash
– Cell Phone and charger
– Laptop and charger
– Passwords
– Medications, eyeglasses
– Pets, pet food, leash
– Photos
Also important, you may regret not taking:
– Insurance policies, tax – related receipts, and paid bills. Keep these in an easily accessible drawer or file cabinet.
– A video of your home’s contents – a flash drive/USB that has a video of each and every room in your home. This will come in handy if you need to make an insurance claim.
– A change of clothes and comfortable shoes
It is worthwhile to prepare your own checklist and store it on your cell phone, or somewhere you can find it quickly.
Other items you shouldn’t forget include your and your spouse’s jewelry, art, collectibles, furs and money, including coin collections. Your typical homeowners’ policy may have Special Limits of Liability for Personal Property, relatively low limits on what the carrier will pay for valuables, such as gold, silver, coins, jewelry, watches, furs and precious and semi-precious stones. So if you have time, grab these things, as they are valuable, and insurance coverage may well be limited, even if you do have the receipts!
Don’t forget to lock up, and stay safe!
