How to protect your keepsakes in case an emergency hits

As natural (read: human-exacerbated) disasters ramp up in severity across the globe, communities have had to reconcile with extreme, life-altering loss.

Cities have been completely decimated by fires and floods. Homes have been destroyed by tornadoes and extreme storms. And while the tangible losses of personal belongings is often debilitating, it pales in comparison to the incalculable loss of life.

The climate crisis — and leaders' reluctance to admit, let alone curb, its impact in large scale ways — will only make things worse. So, in addition to championing a wider, solutions-based climate consciousness, individuals should prepare themselves for potential disaster, and you should start in the home.

Securing important documents 

The government's emergency response services include safeguarding documents as key to essential emergency preparedness planning. This is because official records are crucial to beginning the recovery process, FEMA explains.

"The first step is to take an inventory of your household documents, contacts, and valuables," advises FEMA. "Taking time now to safeguard these critical documents will give you peace of mind, ensure you have access to essential medical and prescription information, and help you avoid additional stress during the difficult days following a disaster."

Items to ensure are protected include: birth, marriage, divorce, or adoption certificates; passports, driver's licenses, Social Security cards, and immigration documents; disability documentation and medical files; pet ownership papers; insurance policies and financial statements; wills and trusts; and essential contact information.

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Physically store your files

Many disaster agencies, including insurance companies, recommend creating an emergency document kit that can be added to emergency go-bags or easily transported when households need to get out fast. 

Flood or fire proof storage devices include water tight bags and cases, or folders and document binders made out of fire retardant materials. While there are safes designed to survive intense fire, not all of them are designed specifically for document storage, if that's what you're after. Non-fireproof, document specific safes may be a cheaper and more practical option, however, as they tend to be smaller and more mobile — most purchasing guides will note the differences, but read the fine print before you buy.

If you want to be even more careful, consider storing your documents outside of your home in an institution you trust, such as a bank security deposit box. FEMA recommends going over bank policies and state laws prescribing exactly who has permission to access the security deposit box, should a critical injury or death occur. 

Digitally store your files

Many may opt for keeping digital versions of important documents stored in addition to physical copies — a wise and convenient choice in an age where most online services ask for digital uploads anyway. 

Scan these documents and keep multiple copies of the files in safe, password-protected digital storage formats. If you don't have access to a physical scanner, try free apps that can turn images of files into compatible formats like PDFs, such as Microsoft Lens. Read more on that below. 

Keep copies of these in an offline place as well, such as a password-backed external hard drive, that is accessible to grab in an emergency situation.

Protecting your personal photos 

In the wake of southern California's mass wildfire spread and extensive destruction of residential areas, many online encouraged others to protect their precious photos and treasured memories digitally, as well. The loss of personal, sentimental items can have a traumatic effect on emotional and mental wellbeing and negatively impact the long term recovery process.

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Use apps to digitize

Making and protecting backups of photos, even in the digital age, is still an important step to emergency preparedness. The easiest way to do so? Your smartphone and a vast market of photo and document scanning apps that use your phone's camera to take higher quality images of your photos — then store them on your device or in the cloud. 

Google, for instance, offers the app PhotoScan, a digital image scanner that backs up directly to the Google Photo app and may be a good free alternative for Google and Android users. Another free app is Photo Scan by Photomyne. 

iPhone users can also employ Apple's Continuity Camera and Notes app to scan documents and photos. Simply open a new Note, tap the paperclip icon, and then select Scan Documents. Your phone will automatically detect and capture the file or photo in view. Scans are saved directly in Notes, but users can also tap the drop down arrow at the top of the scanned image to share, save to their files, or print. 

Document scanning apps like Microsoft Lens and Adobe Scan can also double as higher quality photo scanning options. One of the most popular among users is the AI-enhanced document scanner app CamScanner. Paid options include third-party apps like SwiftScan and Pic Scanner Gold.

Keep in mind that some apps, like Adobe Scan, may not be compatible with image formats like JPEGs or PNGs. That means they might only be able to save and share your files in document-friendly formats such as PDFs.

Stick with old school options

Some may want to use traditional scanners to capture every detail of their beloved images. Depending on your local library system, many public libraries offer free document and image scanning at their locations, but may require bringing your own thumb drive or making an online library account to save or send files. Check with your local library to be sure they offer scanners to guests. 

Alternatively, several companies and online services also provide by-mail scanning options, which allow individuals to send physical copies of their photos for preservation and restoration. These can get pretty pricey, however. 

Kodak's Digitizing Box, for example, gives individuals the option to order and ship their photos, films, and even audio files in a pre-tagged box sent to them by the company. The media is then digitized domestically and preserved in several formats, including digital cloud files and physical formats such as a DVD or thumbdrive. Orders can take up to 3 months to be digitized and sent back. A 50-image box will run a customer $35.

Others like Legacy Box and ScanMyPhotos.com offer similar digitization services and run a gamut of prices, depending on how many and what kind of files customers want digitized. To assist those affected by California wildfires, ScanMyPhotos offered free photo digitizing and discounted rates to people and their families.