I am a baby boomer. I remember my dad building our “secret” bomb shelter in our basement during the Cuban missile crisis. There were six of us in the family. And this was meant to protect US only. It was a matter of life and death. We did have canned food, paper plates, paper towels, toilet paper, diapers for the new baby, a change of clothes for everyone, some games and books to keep us busy, candles, matches, batteries, first aid kit and a bottle of liquor for medicinal purposes only. Thinking back, we probably would not have survived in that little basement hide-away.   But what am I talking about today? What is an evacuation box. In a time of looming disaster you may be forced to leave your home or business for some undetermined period of time. You leave your place. You leave your stuff.   What can you do NOW to protect yourself and your family? Imagine having only five minutes to get what you need. What can you take with you? Do you know what you should take? Do you know where it is? Can you get it all in those fleeting five minutes?   I extend my sincere sympathies to people right now suffering and facing current losses. There are no words to comfort you. For the rest of you, if you want to protect yourself and  your family, create your own Evacuation Box right away.   What is an Evacuation Box? It is like having your own personal insurance for your essential documents. This box has to be something you can easily take with you. It can be a briefcase. It can be a white box. You don’t want it to be accidentally thrown away! I think if I am ever going to have to carry this, I’d rather it be a backpack so I can have my arms and hands free. Whatever you choose, it must safeguard your most important and often irreplaceable documents.   What goes into your Evacuation Box? Just think about some of the essential documents you have collected over your lifetime. Birth certificate. Social Security card. Health insurance card. Medical records. School records and college transcripts. Driver’s license. Car titles. Boat registrations. Library card. Marriage certificate. Passport. Visa. Immigration documents. Deed to your house. Mortgage to your house.   Who so you still owe?  What are those loan numbers? Include a list of your doctor’s names and current prescriptions. (And tuck in that favorite photo of your loved ones if you have room.)   Make a copy of BOTH sides of your credit cards. When one card expires, make a copy of the new one. Make a list of your utility providers, their names and your account numbers. Make a copy of your insurance policies, at least the page with your policy number and coverage details. Record the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) for your cars, trucks, boats, etc. Have duplicates made of your keys, all of them, for your vehicles, homes, safety deposit boxes. etc.   Photograph your home, it’s contents. Make as detailed an inventory as possible. Keep it updated as you add things or remove things. Inventory the contents of your vehicles. Estimate the age and value of each item on your list. Consider using a computer and software for this. Keep a print out as well as a flash drive of these files.   Make a copy of the original documents. Include a copy of your most recent tax return. That’s always a good starting point for your next return. Put the duplicate copies in your evacuation box. Safeguard your original documents in your safety deposit box at the bank, or in a fireproof safe permanently secured in your home.   Where are you going to keep this Evacuation Box? Do not keep this box in your car. Keep it near a doorway until any evacuation is ordered. If you go on vacation or away from your home for any period of time, take this box to a trusted relative or friend.   When are you going to make this Evacuation Box? The sooner the better. Don’t you want insurance before your need it? Some of these documents are irreplaceable. Those that can be replaced take time. And if a lot of people are making the same request for replacements at the same time, you might have to wait longer than you want to for your copy. Do this now while it is less difficult to accomplish. You never know when disaster might strike.   When are you going to use this Evacuation Box? I hope you never need this box. But if you do, I hope you make this box soon. You need it ready for that in-a-moment’s notice.   Always to your lowest tax, Nellie T Williams, EA