Ensure you have essential financial documents readily accessible in case of an emergency—haphazardly rummaging through drawers won't suffice.

It is crucial to keep all important documents in one place amid the rise of extreme weather disasters in the U.S., as it allows for quick and easy access when needed to evacuate.

Jenny Albertini, a professional organizer, collaborated with her mother to consolidate her essential documents into a safe folder.

"She kept repeating, 'It's all around here somewhere,'" Albertini wrote in a recent Instagram post. "But where is 'around here somewhere' in an emergency? That's not the time to search for house deeds, medical records, or sentimental letters."

Albertini recommends starting with the essential documents and keeping them in a secure, accessible folder before tackling the rest.

By organizing your essentials ahead of time, you'll avoid rummaging through drawers during a crisis and be ready to act promptly in an emergency, as advised.

What your emergency document folder should include

According to Albertini, a good starting point for disaster preparedness is the Federal Emergency Management Agency's document checklist. This includes:

• Documents such as birth and marriage certificates, passports, Social Security cards, green cards, military service documents, pet ownership papers, and vaccination records are important pieces of identification.
• Insurance policies, tax returns, deeds, leases, mortgage documents, titles and registrations, bank statements, investment records, credit card accounts, and wills or trusts are financial and legal records.
• Health information: Insurance cards, prescriptions, immunization records, medical records, living wills, and contact information for healthcare providers and pharmacies.
• Family, doctors, schools, employers, veterinarians, utility companies, and local emergency services: Essential phone numbers

In an emergency, it's important to have easy access to sentimental items like photos, letters, and keepsakes. However, these items can be too bulky for smaller document organizers. Albertini recommends storing them in separate, portable bins near your essential documents for easy retrieval.

A fireproof and waterproof box or safe is recommended by FEMA for storing essential items. If there's room, sentimental items can also be included. However, Albertini suggests digitizing documents with password-protected cloud storage or encrypted flash drives. Beginning with an easily grabbable folder in an emergency is a good first step.

Using a password manager can help securely store and organize login information, making it easier to access critical accounts in emergencies, as natural disasters can destroy devices or written records where passwords are stored.

Organizing important documents isn't just about being prepared for emergencies; it's also about simplifying life for you and your loved ones during crucial moments.

Albertini says that after helping his mother organize her papers, he feels relief knowing that if something happens to her, he will know where the documents are and what to do next, and that peace of mind is invaluable.

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