(NAPSA)—Recently, various regions throughout the United States have experienced several catastrophic weather events, causing billons of dollars in damage and displacing hundreds of thousands of people. While you may not be able to predict when a natural disaster will strike, you can prepare yourself and your family ahead of time. Planning is key. In addition to a family emergency plan, the American Red Cross says there are six basic items you should have on hand in case of an emergency: water, food, first-aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies, and special items for medical conditions. Here are some tips for stocking an emergencykit: Store one gallon of water per person in plastic containers such as soft-drink bottles. Have at least a three-day supply. Children, nursing mothers and anyone with an ongoing or temporary illness will need more. Have at least a three-day supply of nonperishable food. Select foods that require norefrigeration, preparation or cooking, and little or no water. Include a selection of ready-to-eat canned meats, juices, fruits and vegetables, high-energy foods, vitamins, as well as food for infants. Experts say that in the event of a natural disaster it’s important to have a way to safeguard and have access to important documents, such as insurance policies, immunization records, birth certificates, passports, wills and other personal items, such as photos. @ Assemblea first-aid kit with adhesive bandages, sterile dressing, gauze bandages, alcoholbased hand sanitizer, antiseptic wipes and anti-bacterial ointment. Also include extra eyeglasses and prescription medications. Store cash in small denominations, a changeof clothing and sturdy shoes, a portable radio and items such as a flashlight with extra batteries, basic tools and a mapof the area. It’s also critical in the event of a natural disaster that you find a way to safeguard important documents, such as insurancepolicies, wallet contents, immunization records, birth certificates, passports, wills and more. You will need access to this essential information, especially if you’re not able to return to your home after a disaster. Oneof the latest innovations to preserve copies of important documents and personal materials is the Wells Fargo vSafe™ service, an online storage solution recently introduced by Wells Fargo. This personal online safe is designed to let retail banking customers store and organize copies of important materials and documents that matter most to them in an electronically secure and centralized location. “Compared to homefiling systems, the Wells Fargo vSafe service gives customers peace of mind becauseit’s secure and accessible 24 hours a day from any Internet connection,” said Katherine McGee, senior vice president of the Internet Services Group for Wells Fargo. “You can’t put your grandmother’s diamond ring in Wells Fargo vSafe, but you can put a picture of it for insurance purposes, as well as thousandsof electronic copies of other important documents and information, including wedding photos and home movies.” Electronic copies of certain signed paper documents—such as wills, deeds, trusts, stock cer- tificates, passports and powers of attorney—are not the same as signed paper originals. However, they can be very helpful in jumpstarting the replacement process should the original documents be lost or destroyed, and while traveling. To learn more, visit www.wells fargo.com/wellsfargovsafe.
