Think of what information you will need to carry on after a disaster. Much, but not all, of our important information today is stored in our computers. Copies of this information should be kept in a safe place such as a safe deposit box, at a relative’s house, outside the house with other disaster supplies or in a go-bag. Thumb drives could be very useful to store this information. If you are not computer capable, make due with copy machines. Here is a list of items to get you started:

• Wills, insurance policies (home and autos), mortgage papers, deeds, Passports, driver licences and credit cards (both sides), social security and medicare cards
• Birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates
• Bank and Brokerage account numbers and institution names
• Important phone numbers and addresses
• Health policy numbers and immunization records

You will also need information to file claims with FEMA and insurance companies. The sooner you can file, the sooner you will receive funds to begin rebuilding. This advice can save you MAJOR time and money. To help support your claims you should have:

Photos of every room, every closet, cupboard, drawer and cabinet as well as the exterior of the house and autos. These are the “before” photos so you can prove damage.

While you are gathering all of these “official” items, you might also want to store a copy of all of those digital family photos to protect family memories.