Evacuation box can reduce chaos of disaster

The December tsunami tragedy has made us all painfully aware of how fragile life can be.

Although half a world away, we all know that events completely out of our control and with no warning can turn our lives upside down.

While we are fortunate to not be subject to earthquakes or tsunamis in our area, we are not immune to other natural disasters - or just crises that can come from everyday living. We can't confine ourselves to a closet to prevent tragedies from affecting us but we can take some steps that can ease problems associated with disasters.

One step recommended by the National Endowment for Financial Education, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the American Red Cross is to create an "Evacuation box." This is a box for storing copies of all your important records. If you ever needed to leave your home in an emergency, this is what you would take with you.

The box accomplishes two tasks. It not only helps you rebuild your life if a disaster were to strike your home but it also provides other family members easy access to your records if something were to happen to you.

The box should be lockable, but even a cardboard accordion type file will suffice. It is also advisable to use waterproof plastic bags inside the box to hold the various documents.

What do you put in the "evacuation box"?

• Cash, travelers' checks, checkbook, an extra credit card and some change.

• Address and phone book of all the important people in your life. This includes family, ministers, friends, and physicians. You also want contact information on all the financial people in your life: attorneys, bankers, insurance agents, financial advisors and accountants.

• A list of all your financial accounts. This includes banks, credit unions, brokerage, loans, mutual funds, retirement accounts and credit card accounts. The list should have the account number, institution and branch where you normally do business. If you keep financial data on a computer, a backup disk should be included in your box.

• Medical information on you and your family members. This includes various prescriptions, allergy information, immunization records, recent medical treatment and health, dental and prescription insurance cards.

• Copies of all insurance carriers and policies that cover you.

• Copies of family records such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, wills, advance directives, Social Security numbers, driver's licenses and passports.

• Copies of financial documents such as property deeds, titles, and last year's tax return should be included. The original to these documents can be kept in another location such as a bank safety deposit box with a notation in the box as to where these originals are located.

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