[StBernard] Evacuation guidebook from nola.com

[Westley Annis]

This may be repetition if many read nola.com, but if someone doesn't, it's
worth sending here.
JY
 
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I'm taking my own advice
 
I must confess I had never evacuated until Katrina, and even then, because
of my job, I did not leave until the day after the storm had passed, when I
knew how much damage we had sustained and that our financial files were
secure. 
 
I left with the essentials but was anxious to return to the city once I
realized I needed more financial documents. I consider myself organized, so
I thought it would be a simple matter to collect the documents I needed. I
had never taken the time to create a guidebook for our evacuation. 
 

>From what I hear, many of us have swung into action. 

What I am finding is that being really organized and ready to go takes more
time than I had thought, and necessitates a lot of cleaning out of files. 
 
I've begun to gather folders in my file cabinet, cleaned out ages-old
financial files and tossed old canceled checks. With some more work, in a
few days I should have a traveling file created, one that I will grab as I
evacuate without having to thumb through a file drawer and make decisions as
I scan through documents. 
 
The next phase, as I see it, is the inventory. 
I started with the room I thought would be most difficult, the dining room.
Using my digital camera, I took a set of pictures that I am inserting into a
program furnished by the Insurance Information Institute. To complete the
program I need to estimate the cost of each item, when the items were
purchased and give any history I have -- which is a time-consuming task. 
 
I think I will go through the house filling in basics on each item for
starters. Then I will come back and try to fill in the information that is
not readily available now. 
 
As for wills and other legal documents, I will probably take them with me,
but I will send a copy to family for safekeeping. At any rate, I will scan
them into my computer and include this with my digital file. 
 
When I am through with this inventory, I will burn it onto a couple of
compact discs, keeping one with us and sending one to family. 
 
Little did I know how much time this process will take. 
But, as I work at it, an hour at a time, I am beginning to see that it will
give me peace of mind. 
 
If you do not have a camera, you can still compile a written inventory. I
found a pretty thorough one online. It was compiled by the University of
Illinois and is titled "Household and Personal Property Inventory Book,"
which can be downloaded at www.extension.uiuc.edu. 
 
Or you can download the program I used at the Insurance Information
Institute Web site at www.knowyourstuff.org 
 
That's only the inventory. I realize there's more to do. 
 
I have always advocated completing a letter of instruction, which lists
where your documents are and gives contact information on both the legal and
personal front. 
You may ask, if I have all of my documents with me, why would I need this.
Well, if I've moved storage sites around, I need to note all of these
changes. And I look at a letter of instruction as a guide to papers, storage
system and list of contacts. 
But we're not through yet. 
 
There is still the communication plan, which will include evacuation plans
and telephone numbers of all family members. We'll have to designate a
contact outside the storm area and let him know where we intend to evacuate.
We used this system for Katrina but it was much more informal. 
Like all of you, I intend to be better prepared in the future. 
. . . . . . . 
Mary Judice can be reached at mjudice at timespicayune.com C 2006 The
Times-Picayune