"I was born and raised in California, so I’ve been waiting for the “big one” my entire life. I’ve never experienced a snow day, but I’m fairly certain “fire days” aren’t nearly as fun. I’ve been wary of wildfires for as long as I can remember. And as horrifying as the recent Los Angeles fires were, I wasn’t surprised they happened.
Fast forward to today, and I now write about topics like homeowners insurance for a living. I know all too well what a mess it can be to climb out of a natural disaster, even if you have a great policy on your hands.
Being ready to evacuate is not a foreign concept to me or any of my loved ones, but becoming a mother this year pushed me to fully prepare for any disaster that might come our way. While wildfires are often top of mind for me in California, these precautions could prepare our family for a wide variety of natural disasters like hurricanes and floods. This is how I keep our family ready for natural disasters.
I Maintain a “Life Binder”
Like many, I originally kept important documents like our passports in a fireproof safe, but it couldn’t hold our larger documents. We had important documents stored in multiple different places throughout our home, which would be a nightmare to collect quickly if a disaster hit. I wanted a solution that could store all of our most important documents and some other essentials like cash and a backup car key.
I stash our documents in this Leatherology binder that zips all the way around. Originally, I used it to organize all of the paperwork I collected during my complicated pregnancy, but post-baby I wanted to put it to permanent use. The zipper gives me confidence we won’t lose any of our most important documents on the go, and it will help protect them from water damage. I grew up in a home with a sprinkler system, so water is just as worrisome to me as fire. When I was a child, our neighbor’s house caught on fire. The house still stood, but the water damage was severe.
I also love that the binder has a zippered pouch for smaller objects (we keep a flash drive with precious family photos in ours) and a notepad to jot down emergency contact and other important information. I even stash recent photos of my son in the binder. In the very unlikely event we are separated and I don’t have access to our thousands of digital photos of him, I want a physical photo of him on hand. This may seem a bit overboard, but it helps put my California mom-brain at ease.
I Keep a Detailed Home Inventory
If you ever need to file a homeowners insurance claim, the insurer will request an inventory of any damaged, stolen, or lost items. I frequently advise people to maintain a detailed home inventory with photos and price data they can hand over to the insurance appraiser post-disaster. The problem? I don’t even follow that advice. The idea of maintaining that inventory sounds beyond tedious.
My workaround is to keep a file folder in my email where I stash all recent receipts. This doesn’t cover 100 percent of our purchases but tackles most—especially big ones like furniture. When I shop in person, if there is an option to send a copy of the receipt to my email, I jump on it. If I ever need to file a claim, I can easily pull up proof of nearly a decade’s worth of purchases.
I Have a Clear Exit Plan
Right now, my son is too young to include in conversations about emergency planning, but my husband and I have always been on the same page. We know if for whatever reason we need to flee our home, we would head to my parents’ house (assuming it is safe to do so). My parents are aware of this plan, too, which will also help them stay calm if we ever have to evacuate.
As soon as my son is old enough to have conversations around fire safety and other natural disasters, we’ll make sure he knows our evacuation plan, where to meet us if we get separated, and how to contact the adults who can help him.
Part of our exit plan involves keeping emergency essentials in our car. I have everything I need to feed, clothe, and care for our baby in the trunk of our car in case we have to leave at a moment’s notice. The day my baby stops drinking formula will be a huge relief. The idea of not being able to feed him in a disaster gives me a lot of anxiety, and I’m sure I’m not the only formula mom who struggles with these feelings of fear and guilt. Storing bottles, water, and formula (which I remove if my car is exposed to hot weather) in the car gave my mind immediate relief.
My Natural Disaster Preparation Checklist
When building out my initial natural disaster preparation kit, I started with a checklist of essentials to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks. You don’t have to keep your supplies in your car; that’s just my preference since California traffic is very bad on a good day, and I’ll want to hit the road fast if disaster strikes. If you aren’t sure what to include in your natural disaster preparation checklist, consider these items:
- Non-perishable food and bottled water (at least a three-day supply)
- Flashlights and extra batteries
- First aid kit with essential medications
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
- Multi-tool or basic toolkit
- Important documents in a waterproof container (IDs, insurance, medical records)
- Cash in small bills
- Extra clothing and sturdy shoes
- Hygiene supplies and medication
- Emergency contacts list
- Local maps and evacuation routes
- Fire extinguisher/fire blanket
- Sleeping bags or blankets
- Pet supplies (food, water, medications) if applicable
- Chargers and backup power banks for devices
- Whistle or signal device for calling for help
I Take Natural Disaster Risks Into Account When Making Big Life Decisions
As long as I live in California—or any part of the country prone to natural disasters—I will make major life decisions with potential disasters in mind. Because fires are such a concern, it’s a struggle to get affordable fire insurance in many parts of California. During a recent house hunt, my husband and I avoided areas where we knew coverage would be hard to find. We even walked away from our dream house when the disclosures warned us the home was not prepared for heavy rain (we had torrential rain the day that sale closed for another buyer).
The fires in Malibu were unbelievably tragic, but to locals, the fires were far from a shock. We all prayed for heavy rain (and luckily we got some), but I also know this means landslides could come next. Houses on coastal cliffs are a notorious landslide risk, so I would never buy a home that is primed to fall prey to fires, storm damage, or other natural disasters.
After three decades of living in California, I find people focus on too many of the wrong things during their emergency prep. There’s no need to have cans of beans piled high in your garage if your entire house burns down. Dealing with the logistics of what happens after a disaster is what really scares me. Where you live, your risk tolerance, and many other factors can impact how you best prepare for natural disasters. So take some time to think through what actions you can take today that will help your family most in the future.
Assessing Your Family’s Natural Disaster Risk
Preparation varies depending on the type of natural disaster, so it’s important to understand specific risks in your area. For tornadoes, know where to take shelter immediately when a siren sounds (ideally in a basement or interior room without windows). If flooding is a concern, elevate valuables, appliances, and critical documents to higher levels and be ready to evacuate quickly. Earthquake preparedness includes securing heavy furniture and knowing safe spots like doorways or under sturdy tables. Tailoring your emergency plan to different scenarios that are most likely to affect your family ensures you’re ready for whatever comes your way.
I Like Feeling Prepared, Even If We Never Need It
Hopefully, we will never experience a tragedy like the many families in Los Angeles or North Carolina went through recently. And if we get lucky, I still feel my natural disaster preparation efforts are helpful. My husband and I both know exactly where to find our most important documents, I can easily find receipts for recent purchases, and if we ever get stuck in gridlock traffic (another fun California problem), I have extra baby supplies in the car.
Jacqueline DeMarco, Contributing Writer
Jacqueline DeMarco is a freelance writer based in Southern California who graduated from the University of California Irvine with a degree in Literary Journalism. She has written on a wide range of topics including finance, travel, and wellness for publications such as The Everygirl, Coveteur, Girlboss, and Apartment Therapy. When not whipping up articles, she works with consumer brands like Gorjana, Voluspa, Underclub, The Well, and St. John to help tell their brand stories.