Protect Your Important Documents: Essential Tips for Environmental Emergencies

In the wake of increasing environmental disasters, safeguarding personal documents has become a concern for many people. From hurricanes to wildfires, these unpredictable events can occur at any moment, leaving people scrambling to protect their vital records. Ensuring that important documents are securely stored and easily accessible can make a significant difference in the aftermath of a disaster. It can provide peace of mind, resulting in a smoother recovery process.

There are several ways to store these documents, and you may want to use more than one method.

Safe Deposit Box

A safe deposit box should be both waterproof and fireproof. It should also be stored in a place separate from your home. You can rent one from a bank or buy a safe deposit box to keep at the home of a friend or family member who lives a distance from your home.

Flash Drive

Copies of documents can be stored on a protected format flash drive, external hard drive or Secure Digital (SD) card. A protected flash drive is one that is read-only. This will prevent the information from being accidentally overwritten or deleted. Many flash drives have a physical switch that can be toggled to enable or disable write protection.   

The flash drive or other device can be stored in a safe deposit box or your pre-packed to-go bag, if you need to leave in a hurry or in an emergency.

Secure Cloud Storage

Copies of documents can also be kept safe in a cloud storage system with robust security. The security measures include:

• encryption capabilities
• setting strong passwords
• enabling two-factor authentication
• regularly backing up your data
• encrypting individual files
• monitoring account activity
• only granting access to authorized users to keep your information as safe as possible

In addition to copies of important documents, photos can also be uploaded to the cloud.

Waterproof Document Holder

A 1.5-gallon plastic bag can serve to protect important documents from water. The bag should be doubled in case of tearing. You can also invest in plastic document holders, some of which protect against water and fire damage. The waterproof document holder can be stored in a to-go bag.

Fireproof Safe

A fireproof safe in the basement of your home can also be used to store passports, spare credit cards, and insurance cards. The original documents that should be stored this way include:

• Insurance policies – This includes medical, life, home or renters and car policies and cards.
• Property records
• Identification – This includes social security cards, birth certificates, passports, driver’s licenses, and the like.
• Inventory of valuable items
• Phone contacts

What to store

The list of documents needed to safeguard either digitally or physically is long, but being prepared will reduce stress later. Some items on your “must have” list include:

• Birth certificate or adoption certificate
• Citizenship papers
• Passport
• Social Security card
• Driver’s license
• Marriage certificate
• Divorce decree
• Child custody or guardianship papers
• Military discharge or military ID
• Medical records (immunization, prescription information)
• Pet records (medical, vaccination, current photo, ID chip numbers)

• Loan documents
• Insurance contracts — life, health, home, auto (if possible, include pictures or videos for insurance claims)
• Insurance agent’s name and phone number
• Real estate deeds or rental/lease agreements
• Titles to property (house, car, boat)
• Financial statements (retirement, investments, savings)

• Will
• Living will
• Power of attorney
• HIPAA documents
• Trust
• Name change
• Letter of instruction

When any of these documents are updated, remember to update the copies in storage.  You may also want to think about what priceless personal items you want to protect such as jewelry and photos. These items can go into a water and fire safety deposit box or a fireproof safe.

Taking proactive steps to safeguard your personal documents is essential in the face of increasing environmental disasters. By utilizing a combination of storage methods such as safe deposit boxes, flash drives, secure cloud storage, waterproof document holders and fireproof safes, you can ensure vital records and even priceless items such as photos are protected.  Preparing today can reduce stress and uncertainty in the future.