Would you be prepared if your family was displaced by a natural disaster or terrorist act? Hundreds of thousands of families were evacuated from the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005. Families all across the world have lost their homes and livelihoods because of earthquakes, tsunamis, fire, and war.
Some simple, but important preparations will help you be prepared for the unthinkable moment when you must take your family and flee. Organizing your family's vital information will also help you in your everyday life and when other family emergencies arise.
Organize a Family Evacuation Kit
Use a large business or school portfolio that can be zipped shut. Keep your kit in a handy, but secure location at home so that you can easily access these important documents when you need them. You may also use a fireproof box as long as it is easily accessible and portable in an emergency. Make two photocopies of everything in your kit. Keep one duplicate kit at work or in your car and mail the other to a trusted relative or contact person who lives in another area of the country. This step will give you back-ups that you can access just in case you can't get home at all. Though some documents are not valid when copied, they provide valuable information and may be accepted in an emergency.