What to Pack for a Home Evacuation

Whether you are planning ahead for a future earthquake or tsunami, or you just received a red-flag warning or an immediate evacuation order, below is a list of key items to put in your "go bag." They fall roughly into the categories of:

• items you, your family, and your pets will need for immediate survival
• documents concerning key legal, insurance, and financial matters, and
• objects with either a high dollar value or deep personal meaning.

With any luck, you will never need to actually use all of this to get through a disaster. It's crucial to realize, however, that even if your house remains standing after a major event, getting back there could take a while. In the meantime, you will make your life much easier by having the following items in your go bag—or more realistically, a series of bags, boxes, and crates. Exactly how much you can bring obviously depends on how much warning you receive and whether you'll be traveling by car, foot, kayak, or some other means.

Basic Necessities for the Coming Days and Weeks

Consider that you'll not only be far from your fridge and medicine cabinet but, in a big enough disaster, might not have easy access to stores, restaurants, or sources of electricity. By packing these items, you'll make everyone in your household more comfortable.

• Food, water, dishes, utensils. A minimum three-day supply of non-perishable food will help tide you and your pets over. Three gallons of water per person is recommended. Keep in mind everyone's dietary restrictions, from the baby who might need formula to the celiac who might need gluten-free crackers. If you're bringing canned goods, don't forget the can opener!
• Tent, propane stove, tarp, cookpot, other camping supplies. If you've got them, they could come in extremely handy. Some people end up setting up camp in their own back yard in the early day after a disaster, while the house is still uninhabitable.
• Paper, physical map of your local area. If your phone runs low, an old-fashioned paper map could help you get out of town quick or find emergency shelters and other resources.
• Light and communication devices. A battery-powered radio and flashlight will allow you to keep up with important local news and light your way at night. Pack lots of batteries.
• Cash money. ATMs and credit card machines might go down in a widespread emergency.
• Clothing and shoes. Pack around a week's worth of durable, comfortable items appropriate for the climate you live in. If there are expensive or sentimental items you'd be crushed to lose, try to make room for those, too.
• Health and hygiene items. Think first-aid kit, toothbrush, medications, wipes, diapers and feminine hygiene articles, contact lens solution, reading glasses, soap, and towels.
• Phones, laptops, chargers. Plugging in might be a challenge during evacuation, while communicating with others will be crucial. Add in a backup battery power supply if possible. If you're packing light, you might bring a hard drive or thumb drive loaded with backups of important data and documents.
• Pet supplies. Include medications, crates or cages, leash, litter box, and blankets.
• Comfort items. If your child has a favorite book, your pet has a favorite blanket, or you keep a journal or can't face the day without your favorite coffee mug, having these along will help ease everyone's emotional state.

Personal Legal, Insurance, Financial, and Related Documents

• Basic identification. Everyone's wallet might already contain their driver's license and health insurance cards, but there's more to consider. Try to also pack passports, Social Security cards, birth certificates, and marriage certificates.
• Credit and debit cards. You might be purchasing a lot in the coming days, or paying for hotel rooms and such. (If you have homeowners' insurance it should reimburse some of this, or you might get an advance against living costs, as described in After the Fire or Disaster: Dealing With Your Insurance Company.
• Financial records and access information. No need to stuff entire files into a crate, but do try to bring papers showing where you have bank or investment/retirement accounts, what government benefits you regularly receive, and so on.
• Proof of car ownership. Grab your vehicle registration.
• Proof of home ownership. Any deed or mortgage documents in your possession should go with you, too.
• Insurance policies. One of the first things you might need to attend to following a disaster is notifying your relevant homeowner's, rental, or car insurance carrier.
• Will or estate planning documents. Your lawyer (if any) might also have copies, but bring your own if you can. See Practical Estate Planning: Organize Your Documents for a reminder of what this might include.

High-Value Items

These decisions can be especially heart-wrenching, particularly if you must leave in a hurry and your mode of transport is already full. But there are certain losses likely to hurt the most if the worst happens. To protect your future state of mind, you might find room for the following.

• Jewelry and other valuables. Small artworks might fit in the trunk!
• Photos. These are the first thing many people grab (unless they're separately accessible in digital format).
• Items with sentimental value. A child's lock of hair or letters from an old flame, perhaps?
• Items with family history. Evacuees of recent disasters have reported, for example, bringing their late father's watch, a favorite drawing by their mother, and even a deceased family member's ashes.

You Can't Plan for Everything—But You Won't Be Alone

It's the rare person who has a go-bag with all necessities packed in advance. What's more, in a situation of intense stress, forgetting a few things is natural and inevitable. (Freezing in a state of panic is also natural.) Fortunately, if some items on the above list get left behind, you might eventually be able to find or order replacements, such as of your birth certificate, credit cards, and so on.

For example, federal Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) will assist you in replacing your Driver's License and other vital records, including property deeds, Social Security cards and U.S. passports. To find one, visit DRCLocator.

In the meantime, experience has shown that disasters bring people together. Volunteers, groups from local nonprofits, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) might offer more help than you realized was available. Be sure to reach out and ask.