Posted on 10/22/2007 6:08:22 AM PDT by BenLurkin
LOS ANGELES With the rampant wildfires surging across Southern California, many residences are being given little warning before being evacuated.
Once you are told to evacuate, that is the time to leave immediately so that fire officials can do their jobs and not worry about your safety.
But, there are things you can do before being evacuated that will assure that you leave your home with the things you care about most.
Create for your family, and for each member individually, a check-list of all the things that you will need for a few days away from home. In addition, add the things that are absolutely irreplaceable. Think carefully about this, and don’t make any assumptions about the seriousness of evacuation. Once you're asked to leave your home, you are often not allowed back until the fire has been fully contained, days later.
Family Matters Your family members, including pets, are obviously the most cherished in your lives.
Make sure to have ready all that children, elderly residents and pets will need to be away from home for at least a few days.
If you have young children, explain to them the situation and possibility of an evacuation ahead of time so that they are prepared. Let them choose their favorite toys and possessions to take with them. Don't forget their school information and registration and books.
For your pets, bring any food or medicine they might need over a few day period, as well.
Also, designate a relative or friend outside of your community who can be someone that other family members and friends can call to get updates on your situation, so that you’re not worrying about making multiple calls to your contacts.
Prescriptions and Medicines Again, you will need to assume that you will be away from home for at least several days. So bring with you any prescription information, and enough medicine to keep you covered. It's also a good idea to have a first-aid kit with you as well, in case you are sent to an evacuation center where sometimes those supplies run out.
Identification, Insurance and Important Papers Gather up birth certificates, social security cards, banking information and your last year and current year's tax information. These are things that you will not be able to do without, in the event that your home is destroyed and you need to request federal assistance.
Also collect all your homeowners or rental insurance and have it ready to go. This should include any photo/video documentation you’ve made of your valuables and receipts and proof of purchases.
The Irreplaceable Items such as family photos and videos or important heirlooms can never be replaced. Rather than worrying about expensive pieces of technology, consider that your family memories are precious. Make sure that you can easily access your photo albums, videotapes, backup hard drives, etc., so that you won’t forget these things.
Thanks to California’s environmental idiots!
Yes, but..these tips could apply to just about anybody who needs to flee just about any emergency.
Agreed ... that’s what I was thinking.
This is great!
Makes me think that I want to get an evacuation kit together. Honestly, this could happen anywhere.
I would hate to be without a single picture of my children’s childhood because we were evacuated. With today’s technology, all of them could fit on a memory stick or a couple DVDs in our lockbox.
The blaze destroyed much of the Malibu Castle, also known as Hodge Castle, a hilltop landmark built in 1978. The famous Malibu Pier that appeared in the 1990s television series Baywatch was being sprayed by country patrol boats to protect it from the blowing embers.
Malibu, around 30km west of Los Angeles, is home to other celebrities including Sting, Jennifer Aniston, Robert Redford, Barbra Streisand, Cher, Richard Gere, Martin Sheen and Whoopi Goldberg and Dreamworks studios co-founders David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg.
The homes of Newton-John and director James Cameron were among those evacuated, celebrity site TMZ.com reported.
Too bad Arnold doesn’t think being invaded by four or five million illegal aliens is an emergency too.
Make sure you pack enough ammo for all the guns you take with you.
That’s an excellent idea!
Scan the family photos and keep them on a thumb drive.
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