If you had 10 hours to sort through all you had

[Steve]

where would you start? If someone told you that everything you owned including your home, belongings, heirlooms and memories could be utterly destroyed in a couple of days, would you want to know ahead of time? Well it looks like I've got about a half a day to find out what that's like. I'm not saying I think New Orleans is going to take a direct hit. I have no idea (despite the many pro mets around the web have privately advised me that every destructive potential exists).

As a younger man, the adrenaline rush of tropical weather always called out to me. I hung out with a surprisingly cool bunch of tropical afficianados. We lived for every tropical system always hoping we would get slammed. But 9 times out of 10, the threat passed us by. We were lucky to see a squall that we could toast. Somehow we found the idea of the big one strangely appealing. We all wanted to pay, just once (except for Gilbert). We yearned for that storm where we'd face 10-12 hours of sheer terror, screaming winds, unidentifiable clangs, crashes and thumps in the night. All of the near misses just made us hungrier and more manic and up for the next tropical system. This is the one. We're really gonna get it this time. I guess we were looking for the experience we could sit back and laugh about after the danger passed. Perhaps it is rooted in the age old battle of man vs. nature. It was almost like being a fan of the horror movie genre - the scarier the better.

We all hear that things can be replaced while lives cannot. And that's true. Material possessions aren't important in the grand scheme of life. The Allman Brothers once sang, 'You can't take it with you when you go.' But when I think about all the people who have lost everything unexpectedly in an instant whether due to fires, tornadoes or any other act of God or man, I am at least grateful for the opportunity to get things together. It almost seems like a second chance.

Steve

[ConvergenceZone]

good post Steve. If it were me, the first thing I'd grab is photo albums. I'd also grab anything else which held a special place in my heart. I'd also grab documents/paperwork, and of course my computer. Also, I'm a huge music fan, so I'd have to take my library of 2,656 CD's with me. Too much money and time invested in my collection.

[jasons2k]

Hey Steve,

All I can say buddy is I'll be praying for you. You're a smart guy, but there are probably a lot of emotions right now too. Don't let that cloud you. Look through the preparation threads just to make sure you're not forgetting anything. And don't forget something really obvious, like securing your computer, and calling your wife.

Good Luck
-Jason

[wayoutfront]

from dealing with people who have experienced such loss's

1st take as many pics of your stuff before you leave, take your hardrive, and all your vital papers

Take cash..... and your guns because looting is always a problem

even if one roll of photos from a disposable ... it will help tremendously in the resolution of any claim. All policies say the insured must prove their loss..

heck I'll even get em developed if neccessary

If you are in amandatory evacuation ,,, keep all recipets associated with evacuating. If you have ALE on your policy.. it is paid accrued.. which means you have to pay and be reimbursed

[Houstonia]

good post Steve. If it were me, the first thing I'd grab is photo albums. I'd also grab anything else which held a special place in my heart. I'd also grab documents/paperwork, and of course my computer. Also, I'm a huge music fan, so I'd have to take my library of 2,656 CD's with me. Too much money and time invested in my collection.

If you can't grab your computer - get the hard drive out. Why take up space with the entire computer (unless you have a laptop) when you can just put the hard drive into another one... IMHO

[Florida_brit]

You really haven't left your self much time as obviously a regular postter too so you were warned! If I was you I would get off the net ASAP and start packing!

Photos. important documents, birth certificate/passport etc 2 changes of clothes as it could be some days before you return at the very least. Imporant things such as family heirlooms, wedding presents etc, expensive gifts.

Move as much stuff on to top floors if you can if you have an upstairs.

Make sure you have insurance documents inc. policy number and phone number. Photos of your place pre hurricane as suggested are an excellent idea.

Mobile phone in case you break down enroute. Water in the car.

Map for evacualtion routes.

[wayoutfront]

with time frame you have ... plan on packing stuff to survive while on the road... Food and lots of water... You gonna be in a log jam

[NC George]

10 hours is an eternity, you will fill your vehicle long before then. I can speak from some experience: I came home from work during Hurricane Floyd and water was at the top of steps, inches from coming into my home, and I had a bunch of cars in the yard.

I immediately got the running low cars down the street and up about 10 feet in elevation. I moved the 4x4's to the high side of my yard. While moving about a neighbor said I could stay at his place for the night. I grabbed the cats, and took them there first. Then I grabbed my laptop and it's supplies, my gun, my cash, emergency food and drinks, toiletries, and a couple days clothes and put them in my truck. I went back inside and got valuable papers (birth certificate, vehicle titles, insurance papers, software, data backups;) my school books (I was attending college at the time) and put them in the truck. I started placing electronics (stereo, computer tower, CD's, etc.) in the attic. I figured the furniture wasn't important. I placed my better clothes in the attic, too. Pulled out all the lower drawers from desks, bureaus and put them as high as possible. Shed already had a couple of feet of flowing water, so I couldn't get the washer/dryer or my tools out of there. I went back in the house a last time, and turned off the electricity and gas, and with great apprehension, left for the night.

Floyd went on through the night, and I returned the next day at noon. Fortunately, the water came up to the bottom of my floorboards, but didn't come in. Even though underwater for hours the a/c unit outside still worked. My tools outside in the shed were dry (they were on a shelf.) My air compressor, even though floating upside down, has worked on a continuous basis to this day. Only real loss was the washer and dryer in the shed.

One point to note about this story: I live some 100 miles inland from the point where Floyd made landfall, and the stream that flash flooded did so from a rainband that hit BEFORE FLOYD MADE LANDFALL! We all thought we had hours before the storm hit us. We were very wrong, and that's what lead to a lot of deaths in our area - people out and about when they should have been home with preparations complete. I was only gone from my house for 3 hours. When I left the stream was under the bridge and 10 feet wide. When I returned the bridge was completely underwater, the stream was 50 yards wide and, as previously noted, within inches of entering my house.

[beachbum_al]

Photos because some of them can't be replaced, my son's urn, let my children take their favorite toys and clothes, and my family and our dog and get out of here.

[MyrtleBeachGal]

Also, things that you don't have room to take - put them in some of those big Rubbermaid containers and use duct tape to tape the tops on. Those will at least float, if they need to, and will stay dry. I've always done that with paintings or art that hang on my walls, and any other items that won't fit into my cars or that I couldn't necessarily do without, but want to keep if I can.

I'm so glad today's Sunday. There will be prayers lifted up for y'all today in large numbers. *big huggssss*

[storms in NC]

don't laugh but when floyd came to see us I did put my PC up very high.On top of the kitchen cabinets long with other things. lost very thing below but I had my PC we had just bought it.

[CharleySurvivor]

Last year after Charley, I got a suitcase and put all important things that I rarely use (dear to my hearth) in it with all my important papers. I also put a sheet of paper with all I would need to grab from my house at the last minute should I need to evacute again.

When something like that happens, you aren't thinking right and it's easy to forget something. I just refer to the suitcase when I need something or add to my list if need be.

[wsquared77]

If you have children please allow them to take familiar objects with them. I know they can take up valuable space in a car, but they can also help your child cope. Think how scared we adults are in these situations. Kids definitely don't understand what's happening. Taking these familiar items can help them greatly. Books, stuffed animals, favorite clothes, blankets etc. On Thursday night when we were hit here in Homestead (which seems almost silly to talk about today in the light of what is potentially about to happen), we didn't have to evacuate, but I can tell you that my 3 year old was clutching to his favorite stuffed manatee ALL night, even when he was sleeping. We caught him a couple of times telling it that everything was going to be OK, that it didn't have to be scared and that Mommy and Daddy would keep them safe. Now that the water is receeding we have found him retelling the story of what happened (the power went out, Daddy had to go outside and save the neighbor's dog, we had a lake in our front yard, etc) to his manatee. It's his way of dealing with being scared about the situation.

We are praying so hard for all of you in the path of this storm. While it's nice to have the opportunity to take some personal things with you, please, PLEASE make sure you and your family are safe first.

[samanthahunter]

When preparing in the past- I took pictures, Albums, Home videos, documents, things I saved from my children. Jewelry, clothes and then I took things and put them in drawers- and took digital pictures of my rooms and the outside. Hope this helps.

[Lutrastorm]

Take a minute to put all those pictures, documents, changes of clothes, medicine and money in ZIPLOK Bags, Easier to keep track of instead of just loose. Even the hard drive will have one more layer of protection if it's in a ziplok bag.

[KatDaddy]

You will be in my thoughts Steve. What a scary scenario unfolding for you. Ziplock bags will be a life saviour for documents and photos.

[artist]

a suggestion - if you do have time to put things in containers - put your name and cell # on the containers as a just in case - if something happens to the home and they survive you may recover them.

[HurriCat]

(This one might end up in the Preparedness area?)

Anyways, I packed my small Isuzu pickup for the Frances evacuation in about an hour and a half. It came out just right - just enough room for: photos and important paperwork (already in albums and big envelopes), firearms, ammunition, PC, HURRICANE KITS (incl. tent), and pet cages and supplies. With the truck full and the wife's little car packed, that was it. I wanted to save the home theatre, the DVDs and so forth, but there wasn't room.

What I WILL do in the immediate future is to make a video record of the house and contents - not that we are "Rockefellers" by any means, but we've worked hard for what we do have. I will not change my basic reasoning, that being to save the IRREPLACEABLE and also to take out things that might fall into the wrong hands (guns, booze, medicines). A lot of the looting would be teenagers.

What KILLED us in the evac was a relative who announced that they would come with us, then insisted on driving their big old van and pull their damned boat, too.

So it comes down to priority and time. The less time, the fewer, most important items. And either GO or STAY. I let the group talk me into waiting about eight more hours and that put us right in the middle of pure hell. As I've said in other posts when talking about my Frances Evac Nightmare: the lesson learned is that sometimes you will just have to be an a-hole and make somebody mad. Listen to that little voice.

NOTE: If putting things into plastic bags and plastic/sealed containers - watch out for humidity, condensation and MOLD. These will destroy your things, too. Once away from danger, try to ventilate/dry your containers and their contents.

That's it. Prayers are for the people in K's path.

[jacindc]

As someone who lives way too close to the US Capitol building for comfort in this post-9/11 world, I've felt it necessary to set up my life to be able to evacuate in **minutes**. It took months of work, but it's been done.

I scanned every one of my photos, my journals, genealogy materials, anything that's irreplaceable, and put the images (along with all my data files) on DVDs. One set is at my office, one is at my parents' house, and one is in our lockbox. The lockbox also holds passports, birth certificates, wills, powers of attorney, etc. That box sits right next to two bags. filled with bottled water, a radio, batteries, PowerBars, medicine, a couple changes of clothes, travel-size toiletries, hand sanitizer, etc.

Obviously if a hurricane is coming you don't need to be quite THIS prepared, but those folks who live in hurricane-prone areas might want to consider taking the time to scan the most important photos and documents, and store the files off-site. Can also come in handy if you suffer a fire....

--jd

[digitaldahling]

[quote="
genealogy materials[/quote]

I wondered if I was the only one who made sure my genealogy work went with me. I can't leave it. Too many years of research. Genealogy and family pictures are the first things packed by me. One year, fleeing Opal, I packed everything that was irreplaceable only to be reminded I hadn't packed any clothing! We left without a change of clothes. The way I saw it, clothing would be easy to replace.