It would be hard to accurately name the number of families that have had to be evacuated from their homes in the Midwest because of flooding. In many instances those who were made to leave their homes worst nightmares came true when the waters from heavy rainfall and rivers reached their houses despite valiant efforts to stop it. Building up levees beforehand and sandbagging in the wake of looming disaster did not help at all in many places.



How do you deal with a situation like that when someone knocks on your door and informs you that you have only an hour or less to get out of your house and get you and your family to a safer place? Panic must set in at the prospect of leaving your home and all your belongings behind to be left to whatever fate Mother Nature has in store. There is really nothing you can do except refuse to go and we all know what kind of tragedy that can lead to. The loss of a home and belongings is one thing, but possibly losing your life to protect those things is another.

So what would you take with you if you could? It might be hard to think of everything that will be of importance to you if you are not able to return to your homes for days, weeks, or ever. With all the sudden flooding that has been taking place in recent years and the unexpected places that they are occurring, it could be wise to have a list of those essentials ready just in case you have to leave in a hurry.

This is a list that should be made ahead of time if you even think you could be in a flood threatened area. If you must leave quickly, then you should have all the items on your list in an easily accessible place and as many items in the same place as you can Your wallet or purse containing your driving license, social security card, bank cards, and credit cards will probably be easily remembered but other documents like birth certificates, marriage certificates, insurance policies, property deeds, and investment portfolios might be needed as well.

It is important to take these things with you if you have time to gather them because remember, if your home if flooded drastically, many of these things could be ruined and we all know how hard it is to replace valuable documents that we may need to use while we are evacuated or in the event that your home is destroyed all together.