People in the Midwest have been facing torrential downpours for days. Many have been forced to evacuate, leaving their homes and most of their possessions behind. Many have also opted to stick it out — to fight off Mother Nature with sandbags and pumps. Making decisions in this sort of situation is hard: you have to balance the emotional and financial, decide whether to stay or what to take.
There are a few points that can help speed up the decision-making process — crucial in a natural disaster when time is of the essence.
Think first of your own needs.
You decisions should be made on the basis of your ability to take care of yourself and the people who depend on you. Deciding whether (and when) to evacuate isn’t simply a matter of how much stuff can you cram into your car: it’s a question of whether you’re likely to get hurt if you stay. In a natural disaster, there may be very little you can do to protect your property — but you certainly don’t want to face doctors’ bills on top of the financial losses you may face.
As long as you are healthy, you can find work and build back up. In my experience, it’s more important to protect yourself and your family than stuff that you can replace.
What is truly irreplaceable?
You can buy a new computer or replace the floors in your home. You can’t go back in time and take new pictures of your children as babies. As you pack for any sort of evacuation, always remember that there are more stores down the road. While you should take some spare clothing and food, focus on taking those things you can’t pick up at the first Wal-Mart you pass.
It’s worth taking a look at your insurance policy every once in awhile, as well. In an emergency, you aren’t going to have time to go down the list of what items your insurance company will replace. You don’t want to waste car space on the property that you’ve been paying the insurance company to cover in just this situation, though.
Don’t forget your paperwork.
No matter whether you stay or leave, you are probably going to need that insurance policy you’ve been paying for all these years. Make sure you know exactly where that paperwork is and keep it safe and dry. You’ll want to do the same with your personal papers (birth certificate, ID, etc.), as well as phone numbers for the insurance company. No one wants to have to deal with filing a claim — especially when plenty of the neighbors will be doing the same thing, but making sure that you’re prepared will make it easier to replace all your replaceable stuff.
