With 15 minutes to evacuate, what would pack, thinking that you may come back home and find nothing left? Many of us were faced with this situation in May, during the many fires that our area endured. My neighborhood was told to evacuate in place, which meant to pack as if you were going to evacuate, then wait for further instructions. We did that, and fortunately never had to actually evacuate, although many neighborhoods just a few blocks away actually did evacuate. It's a good time to think about what's important to you, what's necessary to take with you, and what you can comfortably leave behind. Here's what we packed.
Most importantly, I had Pepper ready to go, his food for two days, his leash and a few treats thrown into my purse. Then, we took our medications, makeup and tootbrush. Next, we took important papers: passports, insurance policies (especially those relating to the house), checkbooks, etc. Ron took his computer, since he has all his work on it. I did not take my computer, but grabbed my address book, my calendar (don't know why), my ipad, and of course my iphone and all my cords. I also took a small bag with some favorite pieces of jewelry. Lastly, we packed a small suitcase with clothes for 2-3 days, including good tennis shoes and a jacket. We also opened our garage door and put the cars on the street. If the power goes out, you may have trouble getting your cars out
I did not take my sterling silver, which in retrospect I should have, nor did I take any photographs, which I should have, nor did I take any paintings or crystal or china objects, of which I have many. There's only so much you can take.
It's a good idea to mentally make a list of what you might take if such a situation arises. Some people think it's a good idea to have an emergency bag packed with 2 days worth of clothes, stuff for your pets, medications and personal items ready at all times. Then, if an emergency arises you already have the basics packed, and you just have to get the rest of your stuff in a bag, which doesn't take long. The one thing I did learn from this experience, was to photograph as much of your house, paintings, mementos, closets with clothes, kitchen items, jewelry and furniture as possible, and to have that safely put away. I photographed our entire house while we were evacuating in place. I will put that on a flash drive and keep it somewhere safe, but not in the house. The other thing I did when the fires were over was call my insurance company and raise the amount of property in the house. If we were undervalued, many of you probably are too. It's a good idea to value your contents. It could make a big difference if there's a disaster. We're lucky to have the former Fire Chief from Encinitas living two doors away. He gave our neighborhood valuable information. Thanks, Bob
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