Hello, Edgemoor! We at the Edgemoor Neighborhood Association (ENA) are active members of the Mayor’s Neighborhood Advisory Commission (MNAC) and as part of our role on the MNAC we regularly hear from Bellingham’s Office of Emergency Management. This month, its focus is on the importance of having your documents and document process prepared in case of an emergency. Check out this video from Washington Emergency Management.

 We at ENA want to share some important information with you:

• After a disaster occurs, households commonly submit claims for insurance coverage and seek aid from governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations. These processes are easier and more successful if essential documents and information are prepared, secure and accessible before an emergency occurs.
• These documents include copies of property insurance policies, health insurance policies and cards, financial accounts, wills, powers of attorney and many more.
• Its also important to document valuables: this can be easily done with a simple room-by-room video tour or simply taking and maintaining photos.

Do you have records of the important stuff? Be ready for insurance claims after a disaster – keep copies of all insurance policies and financial documents. Keep them secure and accessible, and always keep them updated. And, definitely, do not forget to photograph or video record your prized belongings! 

Edgemoor is more resilient when we join together in common cause – please use this as an opportunity to get your proverbial ducks in a row!

Want to learn more? Check out Bellingham’s Office of Emergency Management and feel free to reach out to us at ENA, too.

Want to learn more about MNAC? The meetings are public – check out the schedule (next meeting is Wednesday!) and plan to attend in person or online if you’d like.