PENSACOLA, FL — Hurricane Isaias is heading for the northern Gulf Coast, and people are evacuating tonight.
I’m sharing these checklists (PDF links below) from Rebuild, the National Disaster Survivors Association, to reach as many people as possible. People who have lived through disasters and the long recovery wrote these. Download them, print them, send them to anyone in the path of this storm.
Evacuation Tipsheet
What to pack, how to plan your route, what to do on the road, and when it’s safe to return home.
Hurricane Preparedness Checklist
How to film your house for an insurance claim, and how to prepare for flooding, wind and power outages.
Safeguarding Important Documents
A full checklist of the papers you’ll need for insurance and disaster aid, and how to protect them.
If you only have a few minutes:
If an evacuation order covers you and you’re able to leave, go now. Waiting means more traffic and more danger.
Pack two weeks of medications, chargers, cash, water and supplies for your pets.
Put your IDs, insurance policies, lease or deed and medical records in a plastic sleeve. Photograph them and text them to someone you trust.
Walk through your house with your phone recording. Open closets and drawers, and say out loud what you’re filming. Get the roof and trees outside. That video is your proof for an insurance claim.
Leave a note saying when you left and where you’re going.
Never drive or walk through floodwater. Turn around, don’t drown.
Numbers to write down now
Your phone may run out of battery. Put these on paper:
FEMA Helpline: 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 1-800-462-7585)
Apply for disaster assistance: DisasterAssistance.gov
Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 (call or text)
SBA Disaster Loans: disasterloanassistance.sba.gov
Disaster Legal Aid: disasterlegalaid.org
Disaster Fraud Hotline: 1-866-720-5721
Find open shelters through your local Red Cross
For updates from the ground, and find more guides at Rebuild’s full resource library.
Please share this post. Someone in Pensacola, Panama City, or other areas needs it before tomorrow night.
Stay safe!
Thank you for the lists.
Thank you for the information. I live on the west coast and need to review my emergency plan!🧡