r/declutter • u/skinnyjeansfatpants • 3d ago
Natural disasters are a timely reminder on the importance of decluttering Motivation Tips&Tricks
Watching the news and seeing family / friends having to evacuate due to wildfires in the area. A timely reminder, if you had to evacuate in a hurry, would you be able to quickly find your important documents? Be able to easily grab the important photo albums? Round up necessary medicines?
10
48
u/parrish-blue 2d ago
I always pushed off consolidating paperwork because I don’t live in a disaster area. My family and I had to evacuate from western NC in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The most important things we grabbed were computers, phones, chargers, and wallets that had CASH and our ids/children’s health cards etc. I grabbed a stack of Polaroids that had baby photos and a couple notebooks. We had cases of water and some food in case we got stranded. The cash came in handy more than we thought. We were in disaster area for over an hour as we evacuated. The whole grid was out for nearly two weeks but the few stores that were open accepted cash. Toiletries and clothing can be purchased at a new destination, I grabbed my kids favorite shirts/PJs and a couple of their favorite toys. Having familiar items was really important to their comfort! After this I’m keeping copies of everything in double bagged gallon ziplocks. We took a huge box full of dumped files from the filing cabinet with us and it was a pain to lug around and sift through
29
u/Routine-Spend8522 2d ago
Better to just digitize every important document!
Then you don’t even have to look for it in the first place. Google Drive is everything.
5
35
u/ceecee1791 2d ago
Good for reference, but originals are required for many things - birth certificates, death certificates, car titles…
12
u/Routine-Spend8522 2d ago
We live in a high fire danger area, so those are all stored in a safe deposit box at the bank! Don’t even have to think about them in an evacuation situation.
2
u/No_Yogurtcloset6108 13h ago
During Hurricane Sandy, many safety deposit boxes were under water. Make sure documents are in a waterproof case.
14
u/ceecee1791 2d ago
Except if the bank burns down! But it’s all a crapshoot as you could be away from home and not allowed back in when an evacuation order strikes.
7
u/Routine-Spend8522 2d ago
Ya win some ya lose some 🤷♀️ fireproof safes also burn :-(
5
u/ceecee1791 2d ago
Exactly. It’s not the end of the world if they go, but it makes your list of things to replace that much harder in an already stressful situation. I feel so much for these people having been evacuated (me and my parents house) many times over the years.
13
u/No_Yogurtcloset6108 2d ago edited 1d ago
I have my dog carrier ready to go with copies of their vaccination records.
14
u/Vivid_Needleworker_8 2d ago
I am in the process of scanning photos onto my Google drive. this is the scanner I have I also saved important docs onto a flash drive. I have the actual docs in a fireproof safe.
51
u/makeitnezty 3d ago
My husband and I each have an emergency bag that has enough food and water, toiletries, and change of clothing for 2-3 days, flashlight, walkie talkies, masks, petty cash, a battery pack, chargers, an emergency blanket, and a first aid kit. We also have all our important documents in a folder. We’ve had this for years, ever since our area had back to back small earthquakes over the span of three weeks.
If anything were to happen, all I’d need to grab are my dog, my husband, and our bags. I’m not extremely sentimental so everything else I don’t really care for too much.
15
u/EvokeWonder 3d ago
I’m in hurricane area and I have a folder with all important paperwork. If a disaster is gonna happen, all I’m grabbing is my purse, that folder, my two dogs, and my husband. I don’t care if my stuff gets destroyed. I’ll be sad to lose possessions but I’m not gonna risk it if it’s dangerous to stay and pack too long.
34
u/Honest_Report_8515 3d ago
It’s made me more mindful of my plan to scan old pictures and save them in the cloud!
85
u/AmeliaBones 3d ago
I’m currently evacuated from the fires, we have all of our important documents in an accordion folder so I was able to grab that and pack it quickly without looking through all the files and drawers.
I’m having weird feelings about all the stuff we left behind. Like I’ve already accepted it might burn and my little family of 4 will have 6 backpacks and our car left. Surreal happenings right now.
14
u/GenealogistGoneWild 2d ago
Hope you are wrong. Let us know how it goes. Just stay safe for now.
5
u/AmeliaBones 1d ago
I got to go home today! I am very fortunate it stopped burning in this direction but it’s still blazing elsewhere so not exactly joyful.
14
u/ceecee1791 2d ago
I was evacuated for a brush fire several years ago. It was interesting how calm my mind was about what to bring. My mind was very focused on important papers, medication, dog food/meds, clothes for several days, computer and iPad, chargers, jewelry, and a few sentimental items. Everything else in that moment of smoke, ash, sirens, police loudspeakers etc felt very replaceable.
8
u/eilonwyhasemu 2d ago
Hoping for the best for you! You did great in being prepared -- and yeah, the prospect of having only what you can carry is a deeply weird feeling.
8
u/AmeliaBones 2d ago
I’m grateful that I did a first pass decluttering of the house in October so that I knew all my documents were together in that folder, I knew that all the photos were in 1 place together, etc. what was interesting is leaving behind sentimental things in favor of practical ones. 1 thing I had tried to declutter (but husband said no) was the air mattress that was in the closet untouched for years, even when we had guests we had other places for them. I’m now currently sleeping on it with my kids at a friends house. And grateful our friend has so many throw blankets and pillows to make us cozy.
26
u/Ok-Peanut-9612 3d ago
I bought one of these, added $100, a few meds, dog kibble, and a copy of my passport. Keeps my worry wart calm. Keep it in my trunk.
53
u/GrandadsLadyFriend 3d ago
We had to evacuate today, and we encountered this same thought! We had these big bins that were like a third childhood memories, a third essential valuables, and a third junk. We ended up just taking the entirety of the bins instead of trying to sort through them! Definitely on our to-do list after this.
10
12
48
u/ImCrossingYouInStyle 3d ago
A bug-out bag with vital items is essential for immediate evacuation. Some things to consider to include: A thumb drive with copies of important documents, licenses, and photos (if not using the cloud). One week of meds for your family and pets. Some cash and a credit card. Spare keys. A compact toiletry/makeup kit. Phone/laptop chargers. A flashlight. Snacks like fruit leather. Dry kibble. Collapsible pet bowl. A knife or other weapon, if desired. Small sentimental items (Grandma's brooch, locks of hair, etc.). A change of underwear.
Keep it behind the bedroom door or in the hall closet or wherever is best for you. Put a note on it to remind you of what else to grab (spouse/kids/pets, purse/wallet, glasses, laptop, additional cash, pet carrier and leash -- and, if you have more than 5-10 minutes, other sentimental items). Also a note of what to quickly do with utilities, depending on the event.
Always keep filled drinking water jugs in your vehicle and never let the tank go below half full.
3
u/Cake5678 2d ago
Great idea with the note about what else to grab! Not everything can just stay in a go bag.
62
u/GenealogistGoneWild 3d ago
As a young adult, we had to often leave to go out of town at a moment's notice to care for my brother. I developed lots of skills that have helped our family along the way:
We have one nice bag that we keep stocked with full sized shampoo, toothpaste, bandaids, etc all the time. We use it on vacation, and I rotate out the supplies from time to time. I even keep it stocked with laundry detergent, so we could wash clothes, if needed.
All my genealogy is on my computer, so I would just need to drop it in my laptop bag. Laptop bag is stocked with chargers, and sometimes even extra change.
I went through all my clothes and got rid of ill fitting things, so packing a suitcase would take me about 3 minutes. Not having to hunt for clean clothes is imperitive, so having decluttered, it is now easier to do laundry and put stuff away!
We keep our medicine in nightly pill boxes, so grabbing a week's supply would be simple. If we thought we'd need to go longer, the extras are all in one container in the cabinet, so grabbing that would take seconds.
Pictures would be another story as we have thousands we are working to scan. Most of those are older family photos. Anything after 2000 is on my computer.
Our cars always have at least 1/2 a tank of gas, because in an emergency, you may not have time to fill up, or be able to. We always fill up if bad weather is predicted now because we know what it's like after an F5 tornado or two hit your city. :(
Many of life's disasters don't require evacuation. They require hunkering down (ice storms, tornadoes..) and in those cases, we have purchased lanterns that light entire rooms (no candles). Make sure to keep batteries fresh. Water sources are important. Food that doesn't require cooking or refrigeration. We have a safe area in our house and all our neighbors and family know we will be there should the house be destroyed with us in it. I know that sounds gruesome, but once you have climbed out of a destroyed house once, you don't ever want to do it again!
We can't prepare for every scenario. But most of us know what our location is prone to getting and prepare for that. We get ice in the winter, so ways to stay warm that don't need electricity. Generators, blankets the list can go on.
46
u/LimpFootball7019 3d ago
As my decluttering continued, I was listening to the news on the wildfires in California. Shortly thereafter, my lawyer called and asked for several documents. I am sure I have them. I think I know where I might find them. (Huge progress!!)
I will be searching tomorrow. Decluttering is a process.
47
u/pepmin 3d ago
My cat in her cat carrier is all I need!
21
u/Drink-my-koolaid 3d ago
PSA: American Red Cross - Pet Disaster Preparedness
Better to have and not need this list, than need and not have, I say.
25
u/Pristine-Pen-9885 3d ago
I had a fire in an apartment. My cat alerted me to it and we saved each other’s lives. Besides my wallet, all I needed to take out with me was my cat in her carrier. ❤️🐱
48
u/thatgirlinny 3d ago
Glad you post this. It’s a vital reminder that people surviving is more important than stuff.
Just heard an interview with someone who fled her Pacific Palisades home, and 2/3 of the dialogue was about her fretting over what to take, and how you should take time to video capture all your possessions to make negotiating with insurers easier later.
35
u/CJMeow86 3d ago
I live in an area that gets wildfires every summer and really all I care about taking with me is my cats, and I’m not super confident that I’d be able to get them all in their carriers if it was a panic sort of situation. I keep the carriers handy at all times, I don’t really care about anything beyond that. Also planning to move to someplace that doesn’t catch on fire every summer haha.
11
u/denara 3d ago
That’d be my fear too. My cats detect my anxiety and fight like hell just trying to get them into carriers for the vet, if theyd seen me running around and packing to evacuate first I can’t imagine the battle. I remember hearing about a man and his grandma who died in the Paradise (Camp) fire because they spent too long trying to find and save their cat.
3
u/ayjak 1d ago
I’m also afraid of this. My cat is spooked by damn near everything. I haven’t been able to train her to go to her carrier on command - in fact, if I open the treat bag too loudly she’ll sprawl out on the floor like I’m coming at her with a machine gun. The only other advice I’ve gotten is to just… remember that you are way bigger and don’t be afraid to manhandle them. A pinched tail in a zipper, or even a broken paw with scratches down your arms are a hell of a lot better than kitty suffocating in a fire
18
u/GenealogistGoneWild 3d ago
Our cat would be easy to catch. Lay a suitcase with clean clothes on the bed and she's in it. :)
38
u/Lybychick 3d ago
I had a friend who trained their cats to go to their carriers by putting treats in the carriers and playing a particular catchy tune. With repetition, the cats come at the sound of the tune, making evacuation easier. I wonder if the sound of a can opener would work.
81
u/PrairieFire_withwind 3d ago
This is why, when I declutter, i grab the extra bag and the clothes that fit but are not favorites and make a 'hospital bag' 'go bag' etc.
Extra phone charger and cable, do not need anymore but still work, make it into the bag that should go with me if I end up in the hospital, etc.
Those sneakers that aren't a favorite color but fit and are comfy. The bag. Etc.
I have one for each family member. And it gets reassed twice a year when we change over from winter to spring clothes. (Cold winters, hot summers).
It is a 'soft' place for stuff someone wants to keep but really shouldn't. So then it sits in the go bag for half a year. Really easy to let go after that. And the go bag is one regular duffle/gym/backpack style bag. Nothing special, just what i grabbed from the donation bag a few years ago when we did a big cleanout. Usually 2 changes of clothes and something for sleeping in.
3
u/justhangingout111 2d ago
This is a brilliant idea that I will absolutely be implementing! Thank you for sharing
10
17
u/MoreCoffeePwease 3d ago
I have a bag like this. Including extra toiletries and a mini travel hair dryer. I have zero confidence my family would be able to find anything I needed to bring me in the hospital lol. I’d end up with a comical collection of items. It also doubles as where I keep my travel items so when I take a trip I just get that bag out and it’s got a full set of “doubles” in it, anything I’d need really.
23
u/Diligent-Committee21 3d ago
Well, there's a great arts and crafts thrift store in Pasadena that I was going to visit to make a donation, but it appears now is not a good time due to the fires.
35
u/Sustainablebabygirl 3d ago edited 2d ago
Prepper rule number 1 (and also preparedness 101 for the crazy world we live in right now): always have a bug out bag for each family member which includes a change of clothes, important documents sealed in a water proof bag/container, water/food and important medications.
Edit: I forgot to say you should add an updated family picture in case you ever get separated from your kids and somehow need to prove they are yours.
18
u/MoreCoffeePwease 3d ago
I got a great bag on Amazon that’s cut proof fire proof lockable and waterproof. I have all the important documents, passports, savings bonds etc in there and it’s in a spot that’s to grab, right by the dog leash, the hook of spare keys, and whatever my current pocketbook is. Grab and GO. I’ve got my dad trained, first grab the dog then grab that bag. Our shoes and coats stay by the door. I gotta just figure out something for the photos I can’t replace.
5
7
u/WafflingToast 3d ago
Do you have a link?
2
u/MoreCoffeePwease 3d ago
Fireproof Safe Fireproof Document... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TJMRKSW?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
11
u/lmapidly 3d ago
I got a document holder for mine that's waterproof and fireproof. But yep, bag is in an easy to reach spot and has a ton of useful stuff. I inventory it at least once a year and rotate out packages of protein bars and the like.
41
u/Adventurous-Bend1537 3d ago
This past Hurricane season really made me double down on decluttering and my goal this year is to digitize the family photo archive
7
67
u/Accomplished-Pen4663 3d ago
My whole town was under mandatory evacuation orders for 5 days in 2018. We were the last people in our subdivision to leave because of the time we spent trying to figure out what was important and where it was. I ended up leaving with a bunch of clothes that were off-season and didn’t fit, arts and crafts supplies I haven’t used in a decade, old credit card statements, and other random useless stuff that I didn’t care about. While under urgent circumstances, we weren’t thinking straight to make decisions about what was of value, remember where it is, and dig it out.
2
u/sunonmyfacedays 1d ago
Frustrating! Stress paralysis is definitely a thing. Has that experience changed things for you since?
56
u/Responsible_Lake_804 3d ago
That’s what they ALWAYS say on hoarders (tv show) “how would you get out if there was a fire”. That sticks with me.
56
u/TheSilverNail 3d ago
The threat of wildfires years ago is what started me thinking about decluttering. I realized that I owned a lot of things that I would neither save and take with me when evacuating nor replace if I lost them. Which begged the question -- why was I keeping all that stuff?!?
28
u/dellada 3d ago
I hope your family and friends are safe and doing all right!
Sometimes I think about tornadoes or flooding when I need motivation. Like: if everything in my home suddenly got wrecked from a tornado, what would I be most sad about? Is there anything absolutely irreplaceable that I would try hard to recover from water damage? The answer sometimes surprises me. I have a small box of photos, some key documents like a passport and social security card, but... other than that, anything else could be replaced if I really had to. Sometimes that helps me handle the decluttering question of "but what if I need it again someday".
Might make sense to have a small bag/case for these items that can be grabbed on the way out the door, now that I think about it.
14
u/skinnyjeansfatpants 3d ago
Thanks! Everyone is safe! Won't know about property until later, but lives are most important!
1
u/Rengeflower 16h ago
I have a fireproof and waterproof lockbox (with a handle) that I keep the family’s documents. It’s the kitchen and ready to go.