Many people assume that floods, storms, hurricanes, and other disasters happen to someone else, and many postpone taking care of family papers. Protecting family papers is an important part of preparing you for dealing with natural disasters.

The first step is to create a houshold inventory. An up-to-date household inventory is very valuable. When making the inventory, do not overlook tools stored in the garage, lawn furniture, items in your attic, or food in the freezer. You may want to include a video or photographs of your inventory. An accurate inventory will help you determine if you have enough insurance to cover the contents of your home. It is important to keep the inventory current.

Give additional copies of lists of valuables to your lawyer, the administrator of your will, a business associate, or trusted family member who doesn’t live in your home. It's also wise to store an electronic version of the inventory on the cloud. There are also inventory apps that can help you keep track of what you have in your household.

• Stocks, financial records, and bond certificates
• Important receipts and bills of sale
• Property records, deeds, titles, and/or leases
• List of insurance policies
• Automobile bill of sale
• Household inventory
• Military service records
• Contracts (including promissory notes)
• Copyrights and patents
• Adoption papers
• A copy of your will (his and hers)
• Passports
• Custody papers
• Auto title
• Citizenship papers
• Birth certificates
• Religious records
• Death certificates
• Income tax returns that document large transactions, unusual losses, or deductions
• Marriage certificates
• Divorce decrees
• Social Security cards
• Government savings bonds
• Retirement papers

• Advisers’ names and addresses
• Copies of birth and marriage certificates
• Guarantees and warranties
• Driver’s license numbers
• Educational records
• Income tax returns for past 3 years
• Employee benefits
• Appliance manuals with serial numbers of items
• Health records
• Current bank statements
• Insurance policies
• Rental property records
• Loan payment books
• Safe deposit records and inventory of items
• Credit card numbers
• Bank account numbers

Many of thees items may be accessed electronically, so it is important to write down access information and then store that a safe location.

For more information on disaster preparedness and recovery visit the NC Disaster Information Center.

Adapted by NC State Extension specialists from University of Florida / Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Disaster Notebook.