Millennial Money: Would your documents survive a disaster? What to protect and how to do it

abcnews.go.com:

Floods, fires, historic storms — severe weather events are on the rise

Floods, fires, historic storms — severe weather events are on the rise. If your home was hit by high water or a wildfire, would your important papers be safe?

“Unfortunately, I’ve had clients who’ve been victims of fires, flooding, hurricanes,” says Sev Tamayo, an agent with Goosehead Insurance in Palm Coast, Florida. “Some of them were prepared and some of them weren’t.”

Don’t be unprepared. Here’s what you need to do to protect your important documents.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KEEP SAFE

The most important items to keep in a safe place are things that are difficult to replicate, which includes documents that prove identity, legal process or ownership. If you’d have to call a government agency to process a replacement, you probably want to store it somewhere where it can stay damage-free. You should also consider what you’d need to access if a disaster strikes.

Here are some items to consider, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency:

—Birth, adoption, death, marriage and divorce certificates.

—Passports, green cards and Social Security cards.

—Property documents pertaining to your home or rental properties, mortgage or lease, and vehicles.

—Pet ownership paperwork.

—Paper stock and bond certificates.

—Military discharge papers.

—Health records, health insurance information and disabilities documentation.

—Estate planning documents (powers of attorney, wills, advance directives and trust agreements).

—Property insurance documents, including policy numbers and declarations pages.

— Tax records.

—Financial statements (loans, credit cards, banks, retirement accounts and investment accounts), as well as income records (pay stubs and government