About a week ago, I had a terrible dream where I was forced to evacuate my home with my babies (Sean was at work in the dream), and I only had a short amount of time to gather all that I need before saying goodbye to the place I called home nearly a decade ago.
In the dream, I grabbed only three things – diaper (tons of it), Blake’s giant soft toy duck and Nakayla’s CareBear Best Friend bear. Before the dream could continue, I woke up feeling all flustered and wondering what good would those three items do.
Naturally, all that thinking meant I couldn’t return to la la land. I kept thinking, “What should I have packed instead?”
In hope to find some answers, I sent out an SOS to all the mommy and daddy bloggers I know. At 6am in the morning. On a Saturday.
Thankfully for me, none of them were mad at me for disrupting their sleep (sorry!) and were very helpful in answering my question:
What would you take along with you in the event of an evacuation, knowing that you can never, ever step into your house again?
If you’re as clueless as I was in answering the question above, you might want to check out what these parents will take along with them when caught in such a situation!
“I’m the in the midst of making ‘Noah’s Keepsake Box’, so I’ll probably bring that along. If there’s time, I’ll probably grab my MacBook too, because it has all my photos and videos stored on it.” ~ Adeline, Growing with the Tans
“My passport and birth/marriage certificates are all in a bag.” ~ Andy, Sengkang Babies
“We put the important documents in a drawer. In case of an emergency, we’ll grab and go. Important documents such as birth certificates, passports, son’s health booklet and insurance policies.” ~ Jennifer, DinoMama
“We have a file with all our important documents (birth certificates, passports, marriage certificate, insurance). During an emergency, this file is the most important to have with us. I’ll also bring along necessities like medicines, clothing, food and water. Most importantly, to have the family together.” ~ Jolin, The J’s Arena
“I will only make sure my family members are safe and just run for our lives.” ~ Kelvin, CheekieMonkie
“Bible, iPad and daughter’s pillowcase” ~ Melvin, 4Blog
“If I don’t have the time to think or act, then I would just get my children and leave along with my wallet. If there’s time, then my huge red file of important documents, my HDD, me and my family’s ventolin and, of course, my wallet.” ~ Nadia, Itchy Fingers
“It’s always good to get an emergency bag ready and have the basic items for survival packed within.” ~ Pauline, Mama Bliss
“My mom taught me – mainly food and cash at home, at all times. And keep close of all family members.” ~ PC, Simply Us
“I am more focused on survival and sustenance. In backpacks, first aid supplies, 1 litre of water, biscuits for my kid, spare set of clothing, torch and batteries, and cash.” ~ Rachel, Catch Forty Winks
“I have a shoebox which I keep my personal stuff and collectibles. I would definitely remember that, as well as a big portable 4T hard disk filled with all the photos of the family.” ~ Steven, The “Perfect” Father
“We have a folder with all the important documents. But in a real emergency, with no time to react, I will grab our passport folder instead, as it contains photocopies of our identification cards and the children’s birth certificates. I will also pack a set of clothing for each of us, two towels (in case of cold or any other situation), my nursing poncho, water, edibles, electronic devices and their chargers to remain connected (doubles as torchlight too), and money too.” ~ Ting, Miracule
“I won’t take anything. Car keys, maybe. But just Liza and the kids, that’s it. Nothing else matters.” ~ Winston, The BlogFather
After hearing the answers from the mothers and fathers, I began to have a better idea of what I should pack along with me, in case of an emergency.
Keeping in mind that I have to pack as light as possible, here’s what I would pack now:
1. Identification cards (for the adults), birth certificates (for the children), and marriage certificate
2. Mobile and charger (portable and wired)
3. Water and dry snacks (like biscuits)
4. External hard drive (optional, but contains too many precious memories!)
5. Cash (i.e. wallet)
What would you pack in the event of an emergency evacuation?
