When told you have to evacuate your home, you may feel overwhelmed on what to take.  Be sure you have phone numbers of your close contacts written down and saved in a safe place in your car in case you evacuate in a hurry.

Along with sentimental items that are irreplaceable, here is a short list of important documents that disaster survivors highly recommend you take, based on their personal experiences.

Important documents include:

√   Insurance Policies and Related Correspondence

√   Passports and Birth Certificates

√   Family Photos

√   Tax and Loan Documents

√   Stocks and Bonds

√   Wills and Trusts

√   Plans/Blueprints of Your Home

In the words of a 2003 San Diego wildfire survivor as she evacuated in 2007:

So here we go again. This time I’m taking the insurance papers & receipts in addition to the cats, clothes, etc.