1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:16,760 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: tip is to think about what you would take from 4 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: your home in an emergency. You really never know when 5 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: you might have to leave somewhere quickly, so in general, 6 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: it's good to be prepared. Being prepared could make a 7 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: very stressful situation just a little bit less awful. Like 8 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: many people, I've been horrified watching the wildfires in Los 9 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: Angeles earlier this year. Normal residential areas just went up 10 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,319 Speaker 1: in flames. In many cases, people had a short bit 11 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: of warning before they needed to evacuate. Now, if you 12 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: only have a minute or two in an emergency situation, 13 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: you obviously I just need to get out with your 14 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: people and pets. But in some cases people had a 15 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: slightly longer window or had an evacuation alert before it 16 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 1: turned into an order. Even if you just have a 17 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: short time, having a bag of stuff ready to go 18 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,199 Speaker 1: means that your first few days away from your home 19 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 1: could feel slightly more comfortable. So I've been asking myself 20 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: this lately, what would I take? It might be wise 21 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: to take a minute or two to ask yourself this question. Too, 22 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: what would you take among other things. I've realized that 23 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: it would be good to have a little gas in 24 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 1: the car, best not to let it get toward empty. 25 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: It's good to have a little cash as well. So 26 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 1: many of our payments are electronic these days, but in disasters, 27 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: power networks could be down, and in that case cash 28 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: would be helpful. There are, of course, the basic human needs, 29 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: like water. Keeping. Some bottled water in the trunk or 30 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: in a bag near the door might make the first 31 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: few hours of evacuation before getting to a more stable 32 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: place more doable. Same with some non perishable food like 33 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: granola bars and pet food if you're taking a pet, 34 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: especially with kids. Having food, which would include formula and 35 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: baby food if you've got little ones, could be the 36 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: difference between being miserable or being okay. If anyone in 37 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: your family needs regular medications, you'd want to grab those 38 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: because it could be challenging to get a prescription filled 39 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: at a new pharmacy quickly, particularly if your doctor is 40 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 1: in the same disaster zone that you are. With a 41 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,279 Speaker 1: bit of warning, it would be wise to grab important documents. 42 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: Most things can be replaced, but of course it's easier 43 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,079 Speaker 1: not to If you have a place with your passports 44 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: and birth certificates, social security cards, a marriage license, or 45 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: any insurance documents or property records, and you have the 46 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: ability to grab these quickly and put them in something safe, 47 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: waterproof to come with you. That could be helpful if 48 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: you couldn't get back to your home for a while. 49 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: Then there are the other things I mean, I guess 50 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: most of us would want a change of clothes. We 51 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 1: might want a flashlight or maybe a lighter. Some bandages 52 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: or a small first aid kit could be helpful. Grabbing 53 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:23,519 Speaker 1: toothbrushes and other hygiene items could make the first few 54 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: days more comfortable. You'd want your phone and charger, of course, 55 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: and perhaps you'd want some sentimental things. What would those be. 56 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: The point of this is not to put all sentimental 57 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: things in a bag ready to go right now, But 58 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: by thinking about all of this, we might be able 59 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: to identify those things that would be hardest to replace. 60 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: Most photos from the last decade or so probably have 61 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: a digital backup. But if you start thinking about what 62 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: you would take in a disaster, you might realize the 63 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: wisdom of creating a digital backup of other things, like 64 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: historic family photos. It's not quite the same as having 65 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: the original print, but you could reprint something and maybe 66 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: recreate things. It's good to take pictures of children's artwork 67 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 1: that you enjoy seeing, or if you have handwritten letters 68 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: from long gone relatives, you could take pictures or scan 69 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:22,160 Speaker 1: those too. And when you think about what you'd need 70 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: an emergency, you make sure you know where those things are. 71 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 1: After all, if you had thirty minutes to leave, you 72 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: wouldn't want to spend that precious time hunting around for 73 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: people's birth certificates. But when you know exactly where they are, 74 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: you won't have to hunt, and as a bonus, you 75 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: will be able to find these things more readily in 76 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 1: non emergency situations. I was glad I knew where my 77 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 1: five year old's birth certificate was recently when we needed 78 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 1: to get him a passport and register him for kindergarten. 79 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: In any case, most people will never have an evacuation situation, 80 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 1: but I think it helps to at least think through 81 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: what you would take in an emergency and how accessible 82 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: these things are. That way, when an evacuation order comes in, 83 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 1: you might be able to find these things in a 84 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:18,599 Speaker 1: situation where it will be harder to think in the meantime, 85 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:23,679 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 86 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 87 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 88 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 89 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 90 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 91 00:05:56,600 --> 00:06:03,359 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.