My husband and I were relaxing on our deck a few days ago when we noticed several planes circling to the east of us. All three were mostly white with red markings and lettering. When one of the planes flew close enough to our house, we could clearly read the words CAL FIRE on the underbelly. That’s when we noticed the brown smoke in the distance.
The fire, I soon learned from checking social media, had started in a canyon a couple of miles from our home. A small brush fire when it was first reported, quickly grew to an estimated five acres. We live a reasonably safe distance away but those whose homes were close to the canyon’s rims, received evacuation notices.
The great news is that the fire was brought under control within a couple of hours. No homes were damaged and everyone who evacuated was able to return home safely. With the memory of January’s devastating Southern California wildfires fresh in our minds, I imagine everyone living within a few miles of the canyon fire heaved a huge sigh of relief. We know how a small brush fire can spread quickly, consuming tens of thousands of acres, destroying thousands of homes, and threatening lives.
After the smoke cleared and the planes were gone, my husband and I talked about what we would take if we had to evacuate our home. Whether we had the luxury of time or just minutes, what would we grab first? I mentioned family photos, a few items of personal or monetary value, my laptop, and important paperwork. A change of clothes would probably be helpful too. As I looked around our house, I didn’t see many items that I either couldn’t do without or that couldn’t be easily replaced. The possibility of losing everything really focuses you on what is important.
This conversation has encouraged me to give a lot more thought to the question: What would I take? What’s important? What is irreplaceable? What would we need to sustain us if we couldn’t return to our home – assuming we still had one – for a while? What would we need to help us recover any losses?
Where we live, wildfires and earthquakes are the biggest threat. For others, it might be floods, tornados, or hurricanes. I am not aware of any location that is completely safe from a natural disaster. Although we don’t dwell on threats, being prepared for what ifs can help give us peace of mind.
Creating a Grab and Go evacuation plan wasn’t on my original Organize My Life to-do list but in the wake of recent events, I have added it and moved it to the top.
I don’t have a final list yet, but here is my initial outline:
- List of items that will be needed if away from home for any length of time, or that are valuable and/or irreplaceable. Don’t forget medications.
- List of personal records that may be needed (insurance, financial, medical, etc.).
- List of passwords, PINs, and codes that may be needed.
- Make a separate list of items to take if there is more time to pack before evacuation.
On both lists, indicate where the items are located. If anything needs to be gathered quickly, ensure those items and records are easily accessible (if your precious photos or family heirlooms are buried in a storage closet, you may not have time or the ability to grab them before you have to leave).
This is a list that I hope to never need, but I will feel better when it’s completed. Better to consider what to take now rather than when feeling worried and stressed.
Do you have a Grab and Go list for your home? Can you think of anything I should add to my list?
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As I am currently heading up the Fire and Safety committee for our condo HOA, and trying to educate our community regarding what to do in the event of a fire or other disaster that might require residents evacuate, I have been given thought to this very question. Of course, it is a bit different if you have hours or more to leave vs. minutes but still it is much better to have a plan in advance.
Unfortunately, our 55+ building has has numerous (false) alarms go off due to cooking that have resulted in the residents becoming nonchalant about responding quickly when they hear the alarm.
You have a very important job. I think it’s easy for most of us to ignore the possibility of a disaster (and especially, I guess, if there have been a few false alarms). Seeing that smoke in the distance was a real wakeup call for me. I thought it was important to have two lists, one for the most important items, and one for if there is more time. I think in either scenario, my thinking might be a bit muddled and a list would help me focus.
Wow, what a scare, Janis! Fires and floods happen everywhere, so this is appropriate for everyone to think about. I would definitely grab my external hard drive, if not my computer all hooked up. Most of my pictures are digitized, so I would put that on my to do list. I need to digitize my dad’s and brother’s photos.. I probably should at least make a list of my local history books so that I could order them. I definitely would want my cell phone, even though it is replaceable. You need a way to communicate immediately, and to receive communication. I keep a coded list of my passwords on a Google doc, but my husband doesn’t, so that’s a big to do. What a great article, Janis.
Good point about your hard drive… I’ll add that to my list. It’s good to think about these things in advance because your mind isn’t working its best if you are in a panic. I’m sure I’ll add items as I make my list. Fingers crossed that none of us will have to use it.
For sure! I hope we don’t! Thanks again for all the great reminders!
We’ve had this conversation every time we see a bad fire on TV. Our home computer, our laptop, family albums, wedding rings, passports, charges, and meds. And then, if I had enough time, the historical family photos on the wall. I really love the idea of having a list and a location for everything that needs to go.
I think that having a list would help. I know that I wouldn’t have a clear head if I suddenly received an evacuation notice. I’m going to add charges to my list. Thanks!
Oh and I would wrap everything in my kids baby quilts my grandchildren’s baby quilts and my historic quilts
That is an excellent idea!
As you and others mentioned, there are many cherished things I’d like to pack if there was time, but in a few minutes I’d grab our wallets, the phones because they’re smaller than laptops, passwords for sure, and checkbooks because they’d have the bank account numbers. That all sounds fairly easy unless emotions kick in and you can’t focus. I think I need a list. 🙂
That is exactly what I was thinking. It’s easier when you think about these things in abstract. If I was in a panic, not so much.
My purse, phone, and computer would cover a lot. Meds for sure. And pets, with their food (for sure a carrier for the cat!). Then as much additional stuff as time and the car’s capacity would allow.
Right, first things first. We don’t have pets, but if we did, they’d be at the top of our list too. I remember how difficult it was to get my cat in a carrier to go to the vets. I imagine it could be harder if the household is in a panic.
I’m not surprised you remember your cat. I dread the next time I have to get mine into his carrier for a trip to the vet. They gave me sedatives for him for our next visit and I’ve used them all just trying to figure how to get one into him. No luck so far. 12 lbs and all claws!
It is definitely scary. We had to evacuate several years ago. I gathered some Rubbermaid trugs and put in our photo albums. I gave one to my son, and explained that he could take what he could fit in it. Of course at that age, he filled it with video games and the like, but that was ok it was his choice. I grabbed my computer and some clothes. My husband did the same. We have a strong box with important papers, so that went. So all and all pretty much what you mentioned. Everything else was just stuff. In the last week there have been two fires not too far from us that have been, thankfully, contained quickly. The Canadian prairies are also experiencing out-of-control fires right now.
Glad to hear it worked out for you this time. Certainly does makes you think. I visited California several years ago and was struck by how dry it was. I think of that every time I hear on the news every time your state is burning.
It sounds like you definitely had a “dress rehearsal.” I’m glad it worked out for you! Good point about having tubs available to gather everything together. It would be hard to get these at the last minute (if your garage looks anything like ours). 🙂
I’ve been hearing about the Canadian fires. I guess they can ignite just about everywhere nowadays. Stay safe!
Good to hear the fire was put out quickly and people were able to return home. I think creating a list is a great idea, perhaps keeping important paperwork together so that it is just a grab and go if needed. I would be devastated to lose family photos and treasures but if time didn’t permit me to gather a few things, evacuating safely would be priority number one❤️
Absolutely! Safety first. Hopefully there is enough time to grab a few things anyway. (Actually, hopefully none of will need to be evacuated at all. 🙂 )
Janis, this is a great topic, and one we have faced several times due to the threat of hurricanes in Florida. Fortunately, we usually have plenty of time to decide whether to stay or go. Packing is fairly standard: passports, ID, documents, cash, insurance policies, medications, laptops, phones, and a few clothes. We also prepare to be without electricity, which requires stockpiling water, food, batteries, propane tanks, etc., this time of year. We have never faced a mandatory evacuation, but we go through the drill every summer. If we did have to leave, I’m sure we’d both grab a few personal items – our wedding album, jewelry, a box of keepsakes from our daughter’s childhood. The other stuff is comforting, but replaceable.
I imagine those living where hurricanes are a threat have put together a rather thorough plan of action. We don’t have hurricanes but, even if our house wasn’t directly impacted, a large fire in the area or certainly an earthquake could necessitate a similar shelter in place stockpile. Fingers crossed we all will continue to be safe and sound.
Hi, Janis – Great question – Earthquake and Fire are our biggest known threats as well. Richard and I have a packed grab-and-go earthquake bag, but it is a bit different than what you described above. So I really should prepare a second one. The one that we have prepared contains emergency essentials (water, ready to eat non-perishable food, first aid kit, flashlight and radio, hygiene items, multii-tool, blanket, dusk mask, cleaning wipes, small bills and change) I need to give thought to important documentation and irreplacible items and have a plan for those. Thank you for this excellent post.
Why am I not surprised that you are prepared? 🙂 We have a kind-of, sort-of emergency equipment bag, but it could really stand to be updated (putting it on my list 🙂 ). Years ago, we collected a bunch of small bills too. We figured that, in an emergency situation, if you only have a $20s, that’s what everything will cost. Much better to have smaller bills too.
Exactly. If you only have large bills – that’s what everything will cost. Coins and small bills make sense!
Once again you give us plenty to think about, Janis. That fire was close to you! Those SD canyons are scary and fires are hard to put out. I fear the entire west is looking at a hot, dry summer season, which equals wildfires. My brother in Ramona has evacuated twice in 3 years.
Most of our important docs are in our premium cloud which I can access on any device. I have a big tote box with photo albums in a closet. A grab and go bag for each of us is a good idea, as well as something for our dog. I pray for anyone who loses their homes to wildfires. We see that a lot here in rural Eastern WA. And people still light off fireworks here. Sigh…
I remember those fires in Ramona. A friend’s sister lost her house in one of those. The whole western U.S. is dry and getting dryer. In addition, other parts of the country that never got wildfires is experiencing them. Scary.
Crazy about those fireworks. Years ago, we saw a 4th of July fireworks show in a forest in upstate New York. I’m sure they had firetrucks available… but sheesh!
Stay safe, Terri!
We will be. There’s usually fireworks near our house on the 4th. My dog can’t handle the noise. If we sit in our backyard we can watch them and Brodie seems to relax. And yes, we keep the hose close.
excellent post with many helpful tips – and I am glad you shared the link to your 2024 post, Organize My Life, because I got some tips from that one too.
I plan to keep this series going for a while (lots to write about). I got bogged down with other things but am now refocused. I’m glad some of the tips are helpful to you!
Also, this post stood out because we were just talking about this topic in a different way. A former colleague of mine passed away May 27th – he was only 51 and died in his sleep (cardiac arrest) – and he had a lot of online accounts – including a stats textbook that more than 25 schools use – and we wondered if he left his passwords and other things for those who will follow up for him.
anyhow, the the topic was different here, but similat in a way tio prepare, plan, prep – etc
That is a topic I want to cover too… how we want our online life managed when we are gone.
;0)
PS glad to here this will be a series
*hear
I have lived through almost having to evacuate for fires. I’m thinking that the stuff I don’t need day to day-tax records, insurance, momentos and treasures that are stored away I will keep in a couple of suitcases ready to grab. I also did make a list of what daily items, such as meds and kibble, etc, I’ll need to grab if we need to evacuate fast so I can just act and not spend precious time while in a panic to figure it out,
It makes sense to have important papers – the ones you might need in an emergency – stored in one, easily accessible location, even in a single file drawer that you could quickly transfer to a bankers box if needed. I’m pretty sure my mind won’t be focused and calm if we are being evacuated.
It’s a sobering thought, Janis, but looking around me I come to the same conclusions- much is sentimental and very little essential to my life. My laptop and phone contain my world. Thanks for the wise thoughts xx
I think, as we get older, many of us reshuffle our thoughts about what is important and what isn’t. There is a lot of “stuff” in our house that I wouldn’t miss for one moment.
Hi from Germany Janis! Good post with something we should all keep in mind. Of course when we are traveling we pretty much have MOST of the essentials, my computer, my meds and my of course my husband! But If we got home and everything else was gone we’d just have to deal with it. Luckily/Hopefully most everything is stored in the “cloud” somewhere so we could figure it all but if possible, best not to test our luck. Glad to hear they got that fire put out quickly without too much trouble.
~Kathy
Having digital storage has made things a lot easier for most of us… as long as we can remember our passwords. 🙂 I’m trying to learn more about passkeys, which should – hopefully – make things even easier.
I’m loving following along with you on your great adventure. We want to hear all about it when you return!
I can’t imagine the thought of having to evacuate. But millions have had to and crap does happen. I think most things can be replaced, but the irreplaceable few things are impracticable to gather on short notice. To be honest, at that point our best bet is to grab each other and our pets, along with our emergency bags… and head out. Everything else can be sorted out later. 🏄♂️
You are right, loved ones are the most important things to grab. If you have a bit more time, there may be a few items/records you’d like to have. Most stuff, though, we can live without.
My challenge would be my cats. With three, it’s tricky. Once the first one is caged, the other two get “cagey” and hide. Most of the old important family photos are in the cloud (yay for clouds) as is a lot of stuff so other than cats, some clothes, meds and portable technology, There isn’t much else. We have some lovely artwork but that would be history.
It would be a challenge to get all three cats corralled at once, and Sasha would probably be in her mystery hidey-hole. I haven’t digitized the old family photos yet, and I really need to do that. We have two big albums of black and white photos, but most of them are probably not worth keeping.
This question is one that makes me angst-y to think about. We’re in an area with potential earthquakes or tornadoes, so one bag could be useful if either happened. I know that my husband has a flash drive with important documents and account numbers just in case. But after that we’re not prepared, living in denial I suppose.
Seeing the smoke the other day was a bit of a wakeup call. I just hope I can keep the momentum going until I have a workable list and plan. Most of us live quite comfortably in denial… I’ve even added extra rooms 🙂
This is something that is definitely important to consider and plan for Janis. I’ve had varied lists and go bags ready over the years and mine are much like yours- the very essentials along with some first aid items and water jugs given we are earthquake prone. Now, headed to CO soon wildfires will be more prominent where I’ll be living, even tornados possible, which will be interesting! My daughter is a bit of a prepper though so I think it will mostly be personal items to focus on.
You make such a good point about needed different things depending on where you live and, of course, the changing climate. Having a plan and a bag of essentials is great, we just need to make sure to update everything once in a while. Lucky you for having a prepper family member close by!
Fires are the biggest danger where I live too, Janis. We have a list of what to pack should we need to evacuate and we keep it with our important papers (two birds with one stone 🙂 ). You hit on a lot of the important stuff. There are some great resources online too that may fill in some gaps. Things like a gallon of water, flashlight, extra batteries, toothbrushes, a can of dog food. Some of these items we keep in our togo bag so we don’t have to grab them.
We got a “get ready to evacuate” order about two weeks ago. It ended up being for a different area, but it was amazing how our minds went completely blank. The list was vital!
We got the evacuation notice because one of our phones identified its location as about two hours away. When I called the fire department to ask if there was a fire in our area, they said to make sure our “emergency alerts” and “local awareness” are turned on in “Notifications.” That way, no matter where we are, we’ll hear the alerts that may affect us.
Great post, my friend. And super important!
Nothing like an evacuation notice to get your attention! I’m glad you thought to call the fire department for clarification. As we head into the warm, summer season, I am so hopeful that we won’t have the wildfires in the West like we’ve had in the past. Everything is so dry.
Thank you for that great reminder to ensure the settings on our phones are correct. It can be startling to get those emergency alerts, but they can be lifesavers too.
Stay safe, Diana!
We wouldn’t have bothered the fire department (during an emergency) except that we knew something was amiss – no scent of smoke, no robo call from our local power company, and it only showed up on our old phone. Crossing fingers for a safe summer for all.
I think the bare minimum would be wallet, phone, laptop. I could probably reconstruct my life from those. We are lucky not to live in an area with any obvious threats but accidents such as house fires do happen.
You are lucky, Anabel. Especially with climate change, many of us are experiencing ongoing weather-related threats that used to be just every now and then. Hopefully we are all learning to be more diligent about keeping ourselves safe… or at least having a Plan A and B, just in case.
Husband and I have thought about what we would grab and go but probably should do a list. We don’t have fires but we do have hurricanes. Good start!
After my discussion with my husband, I just thought having a list – not only what to grab but also where it is – would help in a high stress situation. For instance, I asked my husband if he knew where my passport was and he didn’t. Fortunately with hurricanes, you have a bit more time to prepare, don’t you? Although, since their path is often unpredictable, so I imagine there is a lot of “just in case” prep. Better safe than sorry.
I think your list is comprehensive Janis. As to pictures, if you get a chance to get them digitized at some point, even through a service like Legacybox, or do it yourself and get them online for safe storage there (like Shutterfly, Google Photos, even on Amazon if you’re a Prime member) those precious memories will be preserved forever and no need to gather the albums to take them in an emergency. I know I am glad to have done that already. I watched many videos and read stories of the aftermath of the wildfires in California, so I sure understand your concern … earthquakes too.
I once thought I lived in a pretty safe part of the country, here in Southeast Michigan, but I am writing this comment after my weather alarm has gone off, alerting me that severe weather, possible tornadic activity, will be in the area today, up to 9:00 p.m. I’m happy for the weather alarm, but I’ve been on pins and needles worrying about this severe weather since early this morning, and, after a week’s worth of stifling hot weather and severe weather alerts, I am uneasy, especially as the sun makes it hotter and the atmosphere percolates. As a single person, with zero family to rely on for a temporary “landing spot” should my home be destroyed, it worries me. Yes, my homeowners insurance would give me a hotel room if my home was still there, but “fixable” but there are only so many hotels around if the area was devastated and I’ll tell you the thought of starting over at my age (same as you) is pretty daunting.
Thanks for the prompt to get those photos digitized. I’ll have both of my brothers decide which they want and make a flash drive for each. So many photos are of people we don’t know and others are just snap shots (my father loved to take pictures!) that aren’t worth archiving. It’s one of those tasks that seem a bit overwhelming but really are not… and it feels so good when it’s done.
I hope everything turned out okay for you. Severe weather sounds pretty concerning.
You’re welcome Janis and if you upload to some online storage sites, like Shutterfly, you can share albums, when you decide what pics you want to keep.
Thankfully the severe weather did not impact me damage-wise, but there was an odd thing that happened and that was an animal chewed some wires on a circuit board at a power substation and that happened Friday morning. The power went out momentarily. But the back-up circuit was working after that and working hard as we got to the 90s with a real feel of 99 so it taxed it too much and we lost power at 4:00 until 11:00 p.m. Luckily I have an instant-on generator which I got in 2022, so I was okay, but I had no internet from 8:00 to 11:00. Considering the damage that could have happened, I am extremely grateful. We have more severe weather coming Monday, then thankfully we moderate our temps to the 80s for the first time in 10 days.
That sounds a bit crazy. I’m glad you were fairly unimpacted. Good luck on Monday!
It’s always a good idea to be prepared for this (at least mentally). For me, I’d grab as many records from our extensive collection as I could fit into my car and time allowed. After making sure Laverne and Shirley were safe, of course!
… and Tara too, I assume. 🙂 Do you have bins for the records? You probably wouldn’t want to just toss them in your car. You are in possible tornado country, right? Would you get much notice?
Tara’s a given!
Our records are in these square wooden IKEA shelves. There’s no way to toss them in the car; I’d just be grabbing them willy-nilly. It would be chaos. Let’s hope it never comes to that. We don’t get as many tornadoes as Illinois or Kansas, but we average around 20 a year around the state and have encountered our share of warnings, so yeah, it’s possible.
I’ve never lived in a place that was impacted by tornados so 20 a year sounds like a lot (I know they don’t all happen in the same place… but still). I think I’d get some album-sized plastic storage bins to have at the ready, just in case.
This post reminds me of when we lived on a sailboat and had an actual waterproof grab bag ready to snatch and take if the boat were to flip or get destroyed. (Catamarans in theory don’t sink.) It had emergency gear, food, and water and we’d grab the sat phone, logbook, and passports when needed.
In more recent times, I have given this question plenty of thought and I’ve had dreams about it too. They say “Don’t take anything to Latin America that you can’t live without”. I’m pretty good at that mindset already and would have an easy time grabbing what I really need: my computer bag, iPad, phone, and our document file. And Maya of course. 🙂
It’s incredible to learn and realize that we don’t need much to survive and start over, really. I often think what I would do if the place that currently contains my photo albums, twenty years of diaries, and my worldly souvenirs were to catch on fire. I’d be sad and shocked, but I would see it as a new start as well. A fresh one. Part two of my life. 🙂
Since so many people my age are activity downsizing, we’ve already considered what’s important and what’s just stuff. I’m happy enough to have items that mean something to me or are useful. But, if they suddenly disappeared, I’d either buy new or learn to live without. As far as I know, I can’t take it with me in the end and there would be fewer things for others to go through.
When my kids were little, I had an emergency bag packed and ready to go that included medications, basic supplies and two changes of clothes for everyone. But I don’t have one anymore, and your post reminds me that I should. Sometimes, you have to go quickly and don’t have time to think about it or pack. Although where I life, forest fires aren’t a problem, but tornadoes and earthquakes are. So I’m actually packing for going to a shelter for a few days, or weeks!
I think a lot of parents of young children are more proactive making emergency plans. Once the kids are out of the house, these types of preparations seem less important… but they are just as needed. If you had to be away from home for a few weeks, I’m sure you’d want to have a few comforts, and needed items and documents.
I would have to grab medications, laptops, and the cats. My hubby and I definitely need to sit down and make a list.
Making a list like this when all is well would make it easier if you found yourself scrambling. I know my mind might go completely blank.
Hi Janis, Your post ‘grabbed’ my attention. After reading your thoughts/events, Chuck and I rediscussed this topic. We also have many fires in British Columbia and of course, the inevitable earthquake fears/not in denial – we have a grab bag and on my list to check again – some important items in a few different places – it never feels like I am as prepared as I should be – a good friend always says her ‘preparation’ is coming to my house – of course, always “people” at the top of the list. I had a flashback memory of my young granddaughter telling me the first things she would grab are Misty and Cody’s urns – ashes of deceased family pets – I digress – thank you for the important reminder! 💕 Erica
Certainly our needs change over the years and what may have seemed important to include in a bag in our 30s, might not be important now. Also, things like water need to be refreshed and batteries need to be replaced. What your friend said is funny… I guess that means that you and Chuck are the ultra prepared ones. I think it’s sweet that your granddaughter wanted to take the urns. 🙂
Thank you, Janis! I keep wanting to put together a go-bag and I have some items set aside, but it is far from complete! This reminder is timely.
There are a lot of great lists out there to help you decide what to include. Once done, you won’t need to think about it again (hopefully forever) except maybe replacing batteries, etc.
Excellent reminders. As I was reading this and read “laptop,” I paused to email myself my draft of book 2. If I couldn’t grab my computer, at least I’d have the book stored in my email.
Hubby is great about keeping our emergency supplies fresh, including changing out the emergency food and water every so often. I also paused while reading to say, hey, we should remember to grab the notebook with all our pins, etc, too. He nodded. Thanks for this. Always hope I won’t need it, but … 🙂
That’s a great idea! You would hate to lose all that work. I have most stuff stored in the cloud so – assuming I can remember all my passwords – I have access from any computer. Having it in an email makes it easier to retrieve.
This type of list or a grab and go emergency bag isn’t anything we ever want to use, but it’s good if we need it.
Yep. Security in knowing we’re prepared. 🙂
I have a binder that contains all important info. I would also grab my computer. For me, pet stuff. Your list is good
It sounds like you have everything set. Having one binder of important information is a great idea. So many of us have that info filed here and there.
When wildfires were raging everywhere in our region in Western Canada three years ago, we had no time to gather up much of our belongings. We had only 15 minutes to pack and leave, after we received the evacuation order. Luckily, after 4 weeks we were allowed back. Our community had been spared. Now we can reflect in earnest about what is important in life.
That must have been terrifying! I’m so glad your home was safe. I’m curious, with only 15 minutes to pack, were you able to grab everything you needed? Do you think the experience helped you be more prepared if it happens again?
My first concern would be for our cats. We’d need to have their pet taxis at hand, their meds, plenty of food and water, and disposable litter boxes. Fortunately, with hurricanes we can usually get enough notice to prepare. I haven’t digitized all the photos I care about but enough to make them a non-priority. I would want to grab my laptop (it’s small), and … wait for it … whatever knitting project I’m working on at the time. Yup, knitting keeps me sane.
The problem with storms is where do we go? Hurricanes can cover hundreds of miles. With the last hurricane that threatened our area, we considered leaving, but given the size of the hurricane, we didn’t think we could get far enough away. Fortunately, the hurricane just grazed my county.
Thankfully we’ve never been threatened by wildfire (yet). I’m more scared of fire than I am of hurricanes.
You make a good point about (assuming there is time) including items that will help you cope with an upheaval. Knitting, reading, listening to music or podcasts are ways to comfort ourselves. Being away from home for a long period of time disrupts our sense of well-being. Little bits of normalcy is good for our mental health.
It’s those little bits of normalcy that keep me grounded during these relentlessly crazy times.
When we moved to Florida, I created an evacuation list. At the beginning of every hurricane season, I packed our “go box” which had/has the critical papers (passports, birth certificates, marriage license, SS cards, irreplaceable medical records, paper copy of all accounts and passwords, my good jewelry box, etc.). Both lists (evacuate and go-box) were used multiple times and this last time was critical in having.
As I look back now, there’s a few things I missed that I wish I had not. Our family Bible never made it into the go-box, nor did our wedding album or our honeymoon scrapbook. It’s been hard to think about some of the other irreplaceable stuff – all my mom’s papers are gone from her passing away (just two years ago – hope I don’t need any of it!), a number of my personal journals (many were high up, but not all), my collages/vision boards through the years, my scrapbook from when I retired with all the notes people wrote me.
There are forms on line that help with creating a disaster go-box… or let me know if you’d be interested in seeing mine. A lot of stuff is electronic now, but there’s still things that you want to ensure you save.
I thought a lot about you when I wrote this post. Natural disasters and evacuations are just a concept for most of us. We can think about what we might need (and, you are right, there are a lot of resources online), but unless we actually go through it, we’ll never know for sure. You were ultra prepared (I’m not surprised) but are now discovering there were a few things you wished you had. We’ll never be 100% prepared but creating lists and go bags when we aren’t stressed will get us as close as possible.
Janis, absolutely! I have neighbors who didn’t have the go-bags and lost everything. Literally everything, including important paperwork and family heirlooms. In a way, we were lucky I had over-prepped.
that must’ve been really frightening, watching the smoke in the distance.
my son, who lives in San Francisco has a “ go bag”.
I figure as long as I have my phone, chargers, and solar battery I should be OK. Initially, I was thinking credit cards, but then I remembered I have Apple Pay on my phone.
It’s amazing when you think of all the things that we used to have to carry with us that are now online. You are right about Apple Pay… who needs an actual credit card? Although, I can imagine some situations where cash will be king.
Living in a country where you have the possibility of such extreme weather events, it makes good sense to have a grab bag. Himself probably already does, although it’s not something I’ve had myself for many a year. But, I’ll admit that since moving, I don’t feel like I have a known and fixed place for important stuff yet and so one would be a good idea as I can see myself literally freezing up, and walking out without anything at all.
I’ve actually decided to take a few weeks away from blogging (and other stuff too) to focus on getting more order, continuing the decluttering process I started before our move, and generally getting stuff sorted. And yes, getting a grab bag sorted – including deciding what I’d want/need in it. I see from one of your other commenters that there are suggested lists… I shall investigate.
Thanks Janis 🙂
Although I’ll miss your posts, I’m glad that you are taking some time off to get settled. I haven’t moved for 30+ years but I still remember how much work – before, during, and after – it takes. Now that I’ve had 30+ years to acquire even more stuff, I’m sure it would be even more of a challenge. Getting your important documents sorted and filed where you can easily find them is an important first step!
Very smart of you to consider this. We should do likewise. We just spent a weekend in western North Carolina in a region that was completely devastated by Hurricane Helene last year, even though it was hundreds of miles from the ocean. Storm took a crazy turn & flooded the entire region relentlessly. They are still in a state of recovery. So, as you say, very few areas are safe from disaster.
I think what happened in North Carolina was a huge wake up call for a lot of people. We visited that area in early 2024, and couldn’t believe that, just a few months later, so much of what we saw had been devastated. “It can’t happen here” no longer applies to many areas. Best to have plans and not need them.
I’m glad you evaded trouble this time around. But it is wise to contemplate the next scare and to prepare. I don’t have a go back or list, but maybe I should. I think actually I could survive just fine with my meds, my phone, and my laptop. I’m at the stage where I’m paring down my possessions like crazy. Even photographs seem a mute point these days, with so many already digitized. Thanks for getting me thinking about this. As July 4th approaches and I hear the ominous stupidity of fireworks (often in the wrong location and perhaps illegal merch) I’m not looking forward to the holiday. The weather forecast calls for thunderstorms–which I love, but the possibility of lightning strikes paired with fireworks is disconcerting.
You are so right about how our “must haves” change as we get older. I love our house and would hate for anything to happen to it, but I probably wouldn’t miss most of the contents. My Grab and Go list wouldn’t be very long, just the essentials.
I hope your 4th is sane. I read that one of the large wildfires in LA this past January was started by idiots with firecrackers. I will keep my fingers crossed that all goes well today… and into the future.
My heart goes out to California and the previous damage that wildfires have caused. Wildfires are a threat in our neck of the woods as well, so I have also considered what I would grab if we had to evacuate. Photos and important paperwork are at the top of my list too. I have heard that you should take a few changes of clothes. I had not thought about my laptop, which would be a must, as well as my Kindle with all of my books on it. Other than that, you are so right, does the rest really matter in an emergency? Glad you are all safe.
I think large wildfires have become our new “normal” here in the West… although other areas are experiencing them like never before too. Best to be prepared and hope we never have to put our plans in place.
Living in the south, and near the coast we definitely have our fair share of natural disasters. At the end of the day, the only things that would truly matter to me would be my important documents and my photos. It seems it has become much more a reality to think about these things.
I think many of us are realizing that we aren’t immune from potential disasters. We don’t dwell on what could happen but being prepared as much as possible is smart. I have friends who have been impacted by hurricanes and wildfires so I try to learn from them. Important documents and photos are at the top of our list too. I hope you stay safe!
You do the most thought provoking posts and I thank you for that. You would think that living in Florida, we would have grab and go bags because of hurricanes but we don’t. Cash (small bills), a few clothes, wallet, medications, phones and laptops would be important. I definitely have to organize myself, thank you.
Hi Karen! I think just about everyone lives somewhere that could quite possibly be touched by a destructive weather event. And, probably just about everyone puts off gathering together the things they would need if such a thing happened. This little local fire was a bit of a wake-up call for us.
Great reminder Janis. I’ve gone through a wildfire evacuation once and it’s embedded in my brain forever. The big grabs were like others mentioned…my PC tower (now it’d be a smaller something or nothing with everything in a cloud), the cat and cat food, box of files, tote with basic clothes and toiletries. It was such a small amount that we felt was necessary knowing everything thing else could be replaced. Having a list would definitely help smooth out the hectic chaos that comes with the action of leaving your home quickly!
Although I’ve never been through an actual evacuation, just seeing the fire in the not-so-distance was a wake-up call. We also had friends who were impacted by the recent fires in Los Angeles. I think that having a list (or, minimally, just giving it a lot of thought beforehand) would help it what would probably be a high-stress situation. Hopefully neither of us will ever have to use it!
It is wise to be prepared although we have better communication these days. But you never know when that may drop out or – even worse these days be hacked. Thus, an emergency kit is highly prudent, especially when fire is a possibility. Many places in Australia have the photo albums as well as items you mentioned by the front door – sometimes they only have a moment’s notice to evacuate in a fire situation.
It is wetter here so we don’t have as much an issue, although there is forest (wetlands with tall dry grass) on one side of our estate. Sydney fires that burnt through suburbia a decade back and more recently, California should teach us all that noone is 100% safe from disaster.
I wouldn’t initially think of the passcord/pins as something to grab but it is absolutely essential.
Thought provoking post.
I agree, even with good communication, disasters can appear out of nowhere (earthquakes come to mind). Although there may be a few “safe” places on Earth, I imagine most of us could be faced with some sort of situation where we either need to evacuate or we need to shelter in place for a time. Best to be prepared as much as possible so we don’t have to panic at the last minute and forget some essentials. Like an insurance policy, we hope we’ll never need it but you never know.
Yes Janis I think you are right. It is just like an insurance policy that gives us peace of mind that we are prepared should the worst happen.
First of all, thank you kindly for the follow. I would take the artwork given to me by artist friends who are now gone. Probably take pillowcases in case we end up in a shelter. Disinfectant wipes. And they say no matter what the weather, a warm sweatshirt of light jacket. I’ve digitized most of our photos and they’re in the cloud.
Thank you also for the follow! I’m sorry your comment shows up as Anonymous… it’s something that seems to be happening more and more with WP.
Yes, to artwork and anything else of great sentimental value. A friend’s home was involved in the Palisades fire (LA) and she was so grateful to have had enough warning to grab the art she had. Also, great suggestions for packing pillowcases and sanitizer wipes. Thanks for adding to the discussion!