Emergency evacuation documents checklist for a fire, flood or hurricane

First: people before paper

Nothing on this list is worth a delay. If officials tell you to evacuate, go. Ready.gov's evacuation guidance says to leave early to avoid getting caught in severe weather, and to follow recommended evacuation routes rather than shortcuts, which could be blocked. The whole point of preparing the folder ahead of time is that grabbing it takes seconds.

Build a grab-and-go folder

Ready.gov's emergency supply kit list includes important family documents, such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records, saved electronically or in a waterproof, portable container. FEMA suggests keeping a binder of important papers in a fireproof and waterproof box or safe right next to your emergency kit, so you can grab both quickly, and storing another set of copies away from home, such as in a safe-deposit box, at work or with a trusted friend.

A few practical choices make the folder work:

Portable beats heavy. A safe bolted to the closet floor is great in a house fire you're not home for. In an evacuation, you want something you can carry with one hand.
Copies, mostly. The folder is for getting through the next few weeks: proving who you are, filing a claim, refilling a prescription. Most originals can stay where they are, as long as you've written down where that is.
One spot, known to everyone. Ready.gov suggests keeping your kit in a designated place and making sure everyone in the household knows where it is. The same goes for the folder.

The documents checklist

This list follows FEMA's suggestions for a document binder, grouped the way you'd reach for things after leaving home.

Identity

Driver's licenses or state IDs (copies; you'll have the real ones in your wallet)
Passports
Birth and marriage certificates, and adoption papers
A note of where the Social Security cards are kept
Citizenship or residency papers, if they apply

Social Security says to keep your card in a safe place and only bring it with you when absolutely necessary, so it doesn't need to ride around in the folder.

Insurance and property

Homeowners, renters, flood and auto insurance policies, with the claims phone numbers
Health insurance or Medicare cards (copies)
Life insurance policies
Deed, mortgage, lease and loan papers
Vehicle registrations and titles
Photos or video of your home and valuable belongings, for a possible insurance claim

Health

A list of medications, allergies and medical equipment for each person
Doctors and pharmacy, with phone numbers
Copies of advance directives and health-care powers of attorney
Prescriptions themselves go in the kit, not the folder. Ready.gov notes that an emergency can make it hard to refill a prescription or find an open pharmacy.

Money

The names of your bank, credit card companies and other financial institutions, with phone numbers and the last four digits of each account
Some cash. FEMA points out that ATMs and card machines may be out of service.

Family, children and pets

A contact list: relatives, an out-of-area contact, doctors, the insurance agent, employers, schools, utilities and creditors
Children's school and childcare contacts, and any custody or guardianship papers
Pet ownership papers, vaccination records and ID tags. Ready.gov notes that only service animals are allowed in public shelters, so have a plan for where pets can go.

Legal and estate

A copy of your will and any trust, and a note saying where the originals are
Copies of any financial powers of attorney

A list of where the originals live

The single most useful page in the folder may be the one that isn't a copy of anything: a list of where each original is kept. The original will is at the attorney's office. The deed is in the bank box at the Elm Street branch, and the key is in the kitchen drawer. The car titles are in the home safe.

If the house is damaged, that list tells you what's safe somewhere else and what you'll need to replace. It's also the page a relative would need if you were hurt. For each document, write what it is, where the original is, and who else has a copy.

Write where things are, not the secrets themselves.

A folder you carry out of the house can be lost or left behind, so treat it like a wallet. Your where-it-is list should never include full Social Security numbers, full account or policy numbers, passwords, PINs or security answers. Write where each thing is kept, plus the last four digits where that helps tell accounts apart.

Digital backups, without the passwords

A paper folder can be soaked, burned or forgotten on the counter. A digital set is the backup. Ready.gov suggests storing electronic copies in a password-protected format on a flash drive or external hard drive kept in your fireproof and waterproof box, or using a secure cloud service. FEMA also mentions emailing copies to yourself.

Scan or photograph each document, and name the files plainly: "Homeowners policy 2026," "Passport, Maria."
Photograph or video each room, opening closets and drawers. That's your home inventory.
Keep the passwords out of the folder. The point of a password-protected drive is lost if the password is taped to it. Use a password manager, and set up its emergency-access feature so someone you trust could reach things if you can't.
Make sure you can get in from a borrowed phone. If your phone is lost in the evacuation, could you still sign into your cloud storage? Check your account recovery options now, while it's calm.

If you only have a few minutes

If the folder and kit are ready, the grab list is short:

Everyone in the household, and the pets
Medications, glasses and any medical equipment
Your phone, charger and backup battery
The emergency kit and the document folder
Wallets, keys and cash

Anything else is extra. Write this list on an index card and tape it inside the closet door, so nobody has to think in the moment.

Before you walk out the door

If there's time and it's safe, Ready.gov suggests locking the doors and securing the windows, unplugging small appliances, and leaving a note saying when you left and where you went. If your home is damaged and you're told to, turn off water, gas and electricity before leaving. Check whether neighbors need a ride, and let your out-of-area contact know where you're headed.

Afterward

Having your documents ready pays off when it's time to file insurance claims and apply for help. FEMA's financial preparedness page notes that having this information handy should make registering for FEMA benefits smoother if there's a presidentially declared disaster. It also points to the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit, a workbook from Operation HOPE and FEMA's Citizen Corps for identifying your important documents, medical records and household contracts.

If records were lost, the IRS explains how to reconstruct them after a disaster, including getting free transcripts of past returns. Our guides to what to keep in a fireproof safe and how long to keep financial records can help you rebuild a calmer system.

The where-it-is list, already laid out

Family File Essentials is a 32-page printed booklet with the First Ten, the people to call, and one-page locators for accounts, insurance and documents, thin enough to keep in a go-folder, for $15. Or start with the free Emergency One-Pager: who to call first and where the important things are, on two pages.

See Family File Essentials Get the free One-Pager

This guide is general information, not legal, tax, investment or insurance advice. Always follow instructions from local officials during an emergency. Agency guidance changes, so check the linked Ready.gov and FEMA pages. For questions about your insurance coverage or legal documents, talk with your insurer or a licensed professional in your state. Last reviewed October 2026.