Do you know where all of your prized possessions are? When faced with a natural disaster, you could lose the things you hold most dear. I'm sharing tips to help save your stuff when nature strikes and a handy checklist to make sure you have your bases covered when preparing for disaster.
I've partnered with Allstate to share this post.
"It's just stuff." That's what I tell myself when I'm trying to purge or declutter. While that's true for most things, there are some possessions that I prize more than others and I just couldn't imagine losing. This scenario got a little too real for me last month when Hurricane Matthew hit. I live in a coastal town in Florida and we were directly in its path. A suggested evacuation warning came through, and since we have two small children, I felt it was best to heed the warning and retreat to a safe place.
There I stood in my house, evaluating. What would we take with us? What could we take with us? I immediately started gathering my most valuable possessions. Some things are quite obvious - an heirloom ring from my grandmother, important documents like birth certificates and passports. But, there are other items you might forget in a rush, or maybe you should just take caution with in general. I know not everyone faces hurricane evacuations, but flooding and fires can happen almost anywhere.
I was being silly on Instagram when I shared this photo, but I was actually being truthful. I have a small collection of nice handbags and shoes, so those were actually on my "must take" list, along with some baby keepsakes and photos. You'll have to decide what means the most to you.
Preparing for Disaster - Tips to Save Your Stuff
1.) Plan ahead. I cannot stress this enough. The problem with natural disasters is that you have no idea when they might strike. Thankfully, with a hurricane you might have several days to prepare. With a tornado, fire, earthquake or flood, you're at nature's mercy. That's why you have to have an action plan in place.
2.) Take inventory. What do you value most? There were a few things in Allstate's "What Are Americans' Most Prized Possessions," that were surprising to me, but one thing is clear - to us, it's not "just stuff" after all. That's why you have to know what you have and where it is in order to save it. Valuables might include costly items like fine artwork or jewels, but you should also consider items that are irreplaceable. If you treasure your baby's first blanket and lock of hair, you've got know where they are and what you can do to protect them in case of an emergency.
Use this checklist to evaluate your belongings:
For a full size printable PDF of this checklist, click HERE.
3.) Invest in keeping your keepsakes safe. I'm not here to tell you to spend thousands of dollars on a 4-hour fire-rated safe, but there are certain things you can do to safeguard your valuables.
Store documents and keepsakes in plastic bags. Zippered bags will do just fine to prevent items from getting wet, but I prefer heavy duty, vacuumed sealed storage bags since they're waterproof and can compress items like baby clothes, etc.
For very important documents and things you truly cherish, I'd recommend getting a small fireproof box or safe or renting a safe deposit box from your bank. We have both. For items that I need regularly, like the kids' birth certificates, our passports, and extra cash, I place those items in waterproof bags and inside of our small fireproof box. For items like our wedding photos, marriage license and more expensive jewelry, I use our safe deposit box. Also, consider scanning your important documents (like birth certificates, marriage licenses, medical records, and financial documents) and store them on an external hard drive or flash drive. Keep a copy in your fireproof safe or safe deposit box.
I truly cherish photos, so this is a big one for me. I don't have a lot of printed photos, besides my husband and my baby books, but I have a ton of digital files. I don't ever delete photos from my memory cards, so I buy a new one every 3 or 4 months and then swap it out. I have most of our family photos on memory cards and my external hard drive for back-up. These are irreplaceable, so the external hard drive stays with me (and goes into my disaster kit - see below) and the memory cards go into the safe deposit box.
4.) Be ready when disaster strikes. Once you've taken inventory and decided how to store your valuables should an emergency occur, you'll have less things to worry about. It's a good idea to have a disaster kit that you can grab it and go. That should contain things that you absolutely need at that moment (like your vital information, insurance policies, safe deposit keys, cash, and credit/debit cards) and medications. Most of these things are stored in our fire-proof box which is small enough to carry if we can get to it in time.
When faced with Hurricane Matthew, we took what we could and did our best to protect the rest of our household items. We moved items to higher ground on top of larger furniture items and placed other items in interior closets with no windows. It was stressful but I'm glad I had time to prepare
Although I'd like you to take these tips to heart, please remember that NOTHING is more important than your life. Do not waste precious moments in a life threatening situation to collect your belongings. If you have them close by, grab them and go. Otherwise, make sure you put yourself and your family's lives first.
Disclosure: This post was written as part of the Allstate Influencer Program and sponsored by Allstate. All opinions are mine. As the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, Allstate is dedicated to not only protecting what matters most- but to guiding people to live the Good Life, every day.
Amber Ludwig says
Omgosh look at your Tiek stash!!! 😮 Id probably have to take them with me too lol 😉 In all seriousness I totally agree that so many things are overlooked in an emergency and rush!! I would try to remember my old photos, the ones not online and the ones that I cannot replace ever!! Plus all important paperwork like birth certificates and social security cards.
april says
Great Post! We live a wildfire prone area so have a "TOP TEN" list. Things like family mementos, important papers, medicines, and necessary baby items all on the list! From personal experience it's way more helpful to have everything written down ahead of time when you need to back up the car quickly! I would suggest everyone making a list of their own!
Linda Manns says
These are really some great suggestions. We never know when something might happen. Thank you so much for sharing
Jamie S says
I have always thought of the most important things to me, such as my computer for pictures etc,... whenever a disaster may be near (like a tornado or hurricane). But I love your suggestions for backing up on an external/flash drives and using fire proof or safety deposit boxes.I will have to do this in case I'm presented with one of those move quickly disasters.
Kirsten kopp says
This is good common sense advice I never even thought to think of. Thank you for sharing this post!
Kirsten kopp says
GRRR THANK you auto correct: I meant to do this IS good common sense advice!
Advice I never thought of, advice I'm going to follow.
Pamela Smith says
Live in OKLAHOMA were we have tornadoes so always have things in storm cellar and keep a bag handy of my important papers when we need to go to cellar
Amy C says
Hopefully I'll never have to worry about keeping my stuff safe, but ill definitely remember these tip if I do !
Cassidi says
I Currently have an emergency bag in my closet. My husband thinks I'm nuts but I have everything from dried food to emergency tents in it.
Kelly Shafer says
Great post! I've been going over disaster prep in our home and really need to get it done. I have more sentimental stuff than important stuff. But those are the things you can't replace and I need to keep them safe. Love the checklist you shared.
Ashley Norman says
Communication is a big preparation tool in our household. Completely agree that more than often not near enough measures are taken to prep for emergencies.
Joeanne steras says
I have been through a Tornado, what a disaster Mother Nature can be. Great idea for things you would not even think of.
Amber Enlow says
Great tips!! Definitely plan ahead for any disasters that may happen!
Leslie O. says
This is so smart!! I really need to make sure I am prepared for a disaster. Our stuff is kind of in one spot, but definitely good tips, and makes me want to get my act in gear to be organized and prepared.
Rhonda Arquette says
Living in Texas early tend to have flooding eligibility keep all keepsakes high and dry and have our hurricane kits and survival goods ready at all times to leave at a moments notice.
Kay Stilen says
What great information for times none of us ever want to think about!! Thank you for bringing this to our attention and for your great advice!!
Stacy says
I really like the the idea of having a list and disaster bag so we arent scrambling around when disaster does strike. I think having our children have a short list would be helpful to. I know the difficulty of getting kids to leave their favorite things. If we planned ahead then they would hopefully have at least one treasure of there own.
myra decaire says
Some thing to think about.....thanks for sharing
Nancy says
Very good information.
Sherry Blamer says
These are great tips even if you don't live in an area that has hurricanes or other natural disasters or fires. I need to get a plan together for my own house.
Suzanne Bernier says
Wow this is so important. I really need to take some time to do this Thanks for the checklist.
Ita Mae Brammer says
Thankyou for the Reminder!!! Been meaning to prepare for any disaster, being in Far south Texas you never know....
Maggie Jakubczak says
Thanks for the post. I have been needing to organize our lives and this post will help to focus our family.
Kayla D. says
Great thinking. I probably wouldn't of even thought of making up a list... lol. Even though, it's pretty much common sense.
Lu J. says
This article opened my eyes to the fact that I am ill-prepared for a disaster. I need to get organized and put things together so that I would be prepared and not wait until the last minute. Thank you for the reminder and showing us what's important to have in case of a disaster.
Kimberly HUnter says
Thank you for the tips. It is such a stressor to be in those situations, but important to have a plan in case of emergency. Thanks for the great reminders.
Amy Vail says
Thanks for sharing all great plans something to think about
Carol s says
We have our baby books,photos,important documents kept in the same area in case of emergencies (wildfires are our biggest threat where we live). We also keep leashes and pet carriers together so we can safely evacuate our pets if the need arises
Trisha pool says
I just moved to Florida and didn't realize how scary a hurricane could be. I was trying to do a checklist of what I would take with me and I just froze. It overwhelmed me. These tips are awesome. My gosh. I wouldn't even thought of half of these things. Thank you for doing a post like this. Now I am a lot more prepared. AWESOME!!
Amy N. says
This post was so great. Thank you! I have never really sat and thought out what I would need to take with us in an emergency, so this was an eye-opener for me...
Mandy Troxel says
It is important to be prepared
Lauren K says
Being prepared for disaster is important, too many people don't think about the little things. Great tips on keeping the things that really matter to you someplace where you can easily grab them if you need to leave quickly!
Sara Rutherford says
If I were to prepare for a disaster I'd definitely bring all photos, all important documents and my children's favorite toy.
Diane Perez says
I am glad I read this article, I never truly sat down and thought about what is important besides the obvious. After reading this I am going to invest in a fire proof box. The hospital bracelets my preemie and I wore in NICU mean a lot to me along with the home made blanket that was donated to her while she was there. And then of course the hospital hat of my older child. And photos..I will stop there !
Valya Nyuke says
Great article
Mary simonton says
Great advice I would never thought of a few of these suggestions
Mary says
It's always good to be prepared. Thanks for the tips!
Ashley says
We always try to stay prepared extra batteries, flash lights candles , water and food. We keep all our 8mpirtant papers ii a waterproof, fireproof container. When I was little we lost everything in a fire so now we back up and save everything. You never know when something will happen.
Katheri says
We have a our pics & videos & other important things saved on our Nas and also saved portable drive in a safe. I feel likes its better than not having it protected.
BeckyNOmaha says
My daughter has multiple food allergies - including some trickier ones like milk, so we stockpile a lot of shelf-stable foods she could eat in an emergency. My greatest fear (even when we aren't in an emergency) is not having safe food for her!
Nicole H says
NIce reminder! We do keep things in a safe deposit box and remember to keep it updated frequently. We also store a hard drive in there with pictures and files so we always have an extra back up there.
Sandy High says
Keep important papers, photos in a lock box at bank or somewhere and make duplicates to keep in a safe place.
jennifer Babich says
I love the checklist in this post! How helpful
Brandy Bramblett says
Its always good to be prepared
Racheal witherell says
Living in tornado alley I have taken percautions to inventory my household goods, my insurance company advised me to take photos of each room in my house
Laci vanCompernolle says
Great post! Just after hurricane Matthew
Thanks for the tips to be prepared for next time.
Tara Kosing says
We keep most of our supplies and necessary paperwork in the basement where we would be in case of a tornado but I don't know what we would do for a flood. Always something to plan ahead for.
Sara says
We keep important documents and anything of importance in a fire safe.
Stephanie Ludwig says
We have a box at the bank with most of our important papers.
Jan Lee says
I do have a firebox that I keep all my important documents in along with some valuable jewelry. I have some tubs for my clothing and shoes which I keep in the same place in my home so I'll know where to find them if needed. I hope I'm prepared for an emergency. 🙂
Rachelle Dixon says
Wonderful post and something my family will definitely be putting into action
sheryl von tersch fowler says
vacuum sealed bags are a great idea. I will have o follow through with that
LeAnn says
Great information! We keep papers in our safe, but not prepared for much more than that.
Andrea Baumann says
Great blog
Deana Mooney says
What great tips. It's so easy to over look a lot of these items on the list.
Gabrielle says
The tips are great to help people prepare, and I really like the check list to make sure you have everything.
Ashley Chassereau Parks says
I think about this more lately! We live on the coast of South Carolina, but we ended up staying home during Matthew since it was slowing down. Did you have any damage? I have a few things that I take extra caution to protect....... my camera, photos, and marriage license are important to me. I keep important paperwork, my veil from my wedding, a flower girl sweetgrass basket, and a few other little items in our fire proof safe. 🙂
Michelle Elizondo says
Its better to be safe than sorry.
Kelly a says
Good reminder to plan ahead. Pictures and keepsakes would be my #1!
Shannon Serio says
Great ideas that I would have never thought of. Thank you for such an informative article
Andrea Miller says
Living in Florida-you always have to be prepared! We are stocked on batteries and flashlights!
Kelly Freeman says
So scary- thanks for the tips
Brook rodriguez says
Very informative thanks
Ashley says
I pinned this for later. This list is great. I would have never thought to put my kid's special items in my safe. Thanks!
Peggy S says
Living in Texas we have potential hurricanes and flooding. The article gave a lot of good suggestions for what might be valuable items. My list has changed from when I was 12 yrs old!
June S. says
I will read a little more about this tomorrow, rather sleepy tonight watching the election results. But I am going to work on getting this done for this family.
renee connell says
This is a great article I would not have thought of some of these things, thanks for such a great list of things to do!!
Kathryn Cooper says
I have a bug out bag with one set of clothes including the right size shoes and a simple pajama for each of my seven kids in my closet .I just update it whenever any one of them grows into a new size.I keep my important docs in one file that I know where it is ,at all times same thing with my mess,one glucometer bag with all meds in it.consistency is key.I have a smaller safe too for valuables.So if disaster strikes I can grab my safe,my meds,the ruck sac,my files and bug out.I keep bottled water,some dry drink mixes,canned meat and a case of ramen in my van at all times.
Dandi D says
This is all very good to know. I try to be prepared, but there are some things on the list for me to do yet!
Cherie olszewski says
Many great ideas, thank you!
Debbie Smith says
There needs to be a waterproof, crushproof,fireproof suitcase That you could hold your most important papers in w/o the worry of being able to get to them in time . Most of my papers are in a drawer with my husband's papers so we would dump that into something if preparing to evacuate, little bit of clothes, a few sentimental thing.
And it's important to let my daughter choose any items she wants that are sentimental to her. When i was very young Hurricane Andrew
destroyed my home and afterward we had to pick through to find the items that were important to us. we weren't as prepared as we should have been.
Deborah D says
I think that everyone should have an emergency kit matter where they live. You never know what can happen. I love the tip about scanning your important documents. I never gave that a thought.
Lisa Coomer Queen says
Great post! Thanks for sharing all this useful information. I need to prepare for such a thing.
Marie Kozloski says
I have lots many treasured possessions in the past. My biggest fear is not a natural didaster but a fire. I have a strong box for the important paperwork, but figure just grab the purse , box, people and run out. Ineed to reevaluate this!
Monica Ray says
great tips thanks
Kayla Norris says
Great post to have. I live in Florida and have my whole life. I always prepare for worst and although my area has always done well I have seen the possible damage. You never know. You have plenty of warning why not make the most of it? If you don't get it bad great! Not like you aren't going to use the supplies you bought.
Heather in VA says
Dpn't forget medications should be in their original bottles so that if you have to get refills on the road or talk to a doctor in the field they can confirm the proper dosage.
Tracy Bland says
I live in an area that may or may not get hurricanes. I am frequently in my head assessing things I would truly be devastated to loose. Some things are just not replaceable. Thank you for the insightful thoughtful post. It is good to see what you had to do in real time. Most of the time it is not thought of.
Stevie says
We already have all our paperwork in a central spot & all our computer files on a backup drive we can just grab.
Jessica M. says
I love the packing list you offered, it helps to plan ahead like you said also!
Tara O. says
These are all great tips! Thank you so much for the info!
Laurie McClure says
Great list, I have literally a thousand pounds of photo albums that I would want to save. Shoes, LOL, are not on my list
Stephanie F says
Was laughing when I saw your pic on instagram. BUt now that I'm thinking I would do the same too LOL.
Thanks for sharing this and have to start protecting my precious too!! 🙂
Crystal Banks says
This is amazing. I had to literally screen shot it all so I can start my own disaster kit like this in my home for me and my kids. Im a single mom and this works perfect for me. less chaos also. even though I hate to think of any kind of natural disaster, its is good to have these kind of things ready and ready to grab in the invent something like this does happen out of the unexpected. So kudo points from this mom for this awesome tip of helping my family prepare together in case of this ever happening.
Renee Rousseau says
Great tips for every family to be prepared. I always purchased fire proof strong boxes for wedding gifts for this very reason (and to avoid duplicate gifts).
Lorna Patrick says
This is such a good useful post! Everyone needs to be prepared.
Linda Manns says
These are such great suggestions. You just never know when something could happen. We should all take time to prepare ahead. Thank you so much for sharing
Lisa Brooks says
I keep my stuff stl together which isn't much cuz all of my pics are downloaded tp my gmail
Marilyn says
Preparing for a disaster should be taken seriously. Having batteries,food and water is a must. Have all your important papers in a safe place.
Marilyn
tammy smith says
we already have everything in fire safe boxes we have four them and we have survival food and water and extra medication. We also have medical bag to take. Everybody should be prepare along with having extra clothes for everyone, blankets, sleeping bags, and anything else you might need.
Sue E says
WOW! You gave this a lot of thought! I supposively have a fireproof safe that we keep some of our important papers and jewelry in. So hopefully it will withstand the blaze! The most I would want is my bunch of family photo albums - which weighs a ton! But really when it comes down to it, you, your loved ones & pets are the things that really matter the most and can't be replaced!! Our home was in a small electrical fire. Two of my best friends' homes burnt down. They were just glad everyone made it out!!
And don't go back in at all!! The black smoke engulfs you fast!!
Felicia Leibach says
I'm actually gonna print this out and share it with my daughters pta we need to be more prepared as parents of school age children and this is a great outline on what to do ? Tysvm for sharing
Jeanna Massman says
Love your checklist! It is inspiring me to round up all of the items and having them ready in case of a quick evacuation.
Katie Bellamy says
What a great idea! I downloaded the checklist
Dotty J Boucher says
I think this is so important to gather again and make plans in case ever such of a need to do so. I also really like how you
prioritized everything here.
@tisonlyme143
Edye says
Such a great post! It's so important to stay prepared and aware of possible disasters.
Mami2jcn says
This is a great checklist! Thanks for sharing.
Katie Robinson says
You have some good tips. I have always thought about the essentials we fouls need like water and food but I did not think about our possessions.
Sarah says
This is such a great reminder! We went through two hurricanes while we lived in Houston and I think I've felt like it couldn't happen to us here in East TN but that's foolish.
One of the first things I think I"ll act on is getting a portable safe for our important documents! Next up will be inventory of our belongings.
Thanks for this thoughtful piece!!! I'm definitely going to share!
PS. It's very hard to read inside this comment box. I couldn't see what I was typing because it's really light & small text. Hopefully there aren't many typos!
Dawn Gnerer says
Most of our lives we have lived in Minnesota so never have had a lot to worry about, but after living 6 years in the tornado alley section of Texas, (and they threaten every night) we earned that no matter how little chance make sure you have a waterproof/fireproof safe lockbox to hold your important papers and family heirlooms such as jewelry, for quick and easy access. Always make sure to have a family plan of action so that everyone remains safe.
Courtney Somero says
Great post! A lot I hadn't thought of!
Julie Younce says
That's so scary to think about! Thank you for the tips to prepare.
Saeah b says
Very good ideas.
Betina says
Lots of bottles of water and a fire proof safe so all of our documents are always safe. We have accordion shutters and a few hurricane panels to protect our home.
KATHLEEN QUINLAN says
I kind of knew this is the right idea. I just never have done it. But with todays world and wild weather it is more probable. I moved recently and was surprised at what I let go, but also what I really wanted to take with me. Mainly irreplaceable items. Grandmother's ring, photo's, birth certificates, jewelry, yes even a pocketbook or two. lol
It certainly is a good time for me to get a container and get it done.
Anne Fleuriot says
I bookmarked this for the future. Thank you
Kayla G. says
My parents' home flooded a few summers ago. Two of the basement walls partially caved in, but they were allowed to go back into the main floor of their home to retrieve anything they could salvage. One thing I never realized was how many people store valuable things near the floor - in a safe, a cedar chest, etc. These were the first things ruined - her baptism gown, wedding dress, etc. In a fire, location wouldn't matter, but in a flood it definately does!
DENISE LOW says
Thank you for sharing. We need to prepare for a disaster. And thank you for the tips.
SarahMay says
Great read. We're hurricane prone here too, and while I've been fortunate, I've also not been the head of household who had to worry about this. Great list to help those new and old to make sure what they love is safe.
serena says
Great tips! It's always good to think about these things ahead of time so when the time comes you just have to act and your panicked brain does't have to analyze.
melissa L wilber says
Some very good , helpful information. Thank You for sharing with us!
Misty Farris says
I live in California where threats of the big earthquake always loom. I've often thought about what I would take with me if we had to evacuate quickly. Pictures are a big one for me, and of course all the important documents, and I'm not gonna lie I'll be grabbing my laptop and makeup collection on my way out the door lol. Thanks for the great tips, and check list!
Gloria Walshver says
In a emergency I would take food and water first and foremost then my family albums.
Jessica Lodge says
The only thing in my house that I would be truly devestated to lose is my Grandmother book. I have it in acertain place on my books shelf where I can grab it easily in case of an emergency.
Kristen Schwarz says
This is such a great post! You never know when something could happen. Such great tips!
Tarrah Martin says
I really need to take an inventory.... They can't replace what they do not know you have,
Amanda Wilson says
Very helpful we live in Louisiana and we get huracans this is very helpful thanks
Amanda Wilson says
We love in Louisiana and get huracans this is very helpful thanks
Cindy Kong says
thanks for the info!
Rachel says
some of these, I never would've thought of myself. It's such a hard thing to evaluate. Great tips! Thank you!
Jayme says
We had a system at our last place, but haven't gotten it set up once we moved. This is a good reminder we need to have plans in place again.
Thanks!
Courtney Wallace says
Having an anxiety disorder, I live for planning for the worst. When my husband and I got married, we bought a small lock box for our important documents. We had rental insurance and when we purchased our home immediately purchased homeowners insurance. Being prepared is open priority for me. The little things and the big things.
ellen beck says
I am surprised a few things arent mentioned.... pets being one of them. ALWAYS have enough carriers for your pets. Take tier records too since if by chance they get lost, you have record of them. So many lose their pets and they arent 'lost' at all, some well meaning person or shelter has picked them up. I know of pets who were in Katrina who ended up here in Iowa- and their owners would never know unless they were chipped AND they had a way to contact them. There was one returned just a couple years ago!
Ruth V. says
Great points Ellen! I don't have any pets right now so I didn't even think about that, but you're totally right.
Karen Collins says
Thanks for sharing the information on this important topic.
Joanna Price says
Great, thorough post! I love the idea of keeping the photos on a SD card in a safe!
KATHRYN TEEL says
I always keep a gallon of unopened water in each vehicle I change them out when I flip the mattresses this way if things get real bad and we can't grab anything we at least have a drink.
Karen Propes says
Great list, never really think about disasters, even though we have been through quite a few hurricanes and tornados. But recently with all the floods and fires in North Carolina it really makes you think twice. I already have all my pictures and important items together. But these are important things we all should think about. Thanks for sharing it is so helpful.
stephanie jasmin says
I have a suitcase my husband calls my "runaway suitcase." it basically has all our important things in it, its basically in case of a disaster. It doesnt have anything in it beside the most important things to me, which our memories<3
Kelly Noe says
This is something I've never in thought of. Thank-you for all the tips and insight.
Kim says
we NEED to do this!!!!! We have a tornado closet but we gotta stock it!
Lauryn R says
These are great tips for being prepared for a natural disaster, thanks for sharing! I love your list of things to keep safe just incase of emergencies. We do have a safe, and it helps me keep a peace of mind knowing that all of these things are right there when I need them.
Christine Jensen says
I must admit that I am extremely under-prepared for potential disaster. It is something our family really needs to focus on more in the coming year.