Lots of people have donated to scams too - Some $$ has not gone where it was intended.
I don't understand how being forewarned would help many keep their homes or businesses, other than getting insurance documents. People were lucky to get out with their lives....
All so very sad. We're 7 1/2 hours from Ft McMurray
Many people were driving along the highway, donating food, and clothing to those affected by this terrible disaster - bless those who are helping in any way they can.

What people say after going through horrific and sudden natural disasters is that they had no time to preserve their photos...captured moments of their lives, faces preserved of departed loved ones. Mementos,. Family treasures. That may be what they mean by forewarned.

yeah, that WOULD be sad.... especially pictures of loved ones.
They would need a lot of forewarning to go dig out a lot of these though - in attic, basement, some other storage....
Scanning these and sharing with others may be an answer.

It would be ideal to transfer things to a CD/DVD format.
I was thinking ore in terms of grabbing the family bible, the photos displayed. The wedding dress in the closet.

yeah Rosie, but not only save them to CD/DVD format, but also share a copy with someone Outside of your home - like a bank safety deposit box. At least they would be safe from many disasters.
Although...... my grandparents had a fire in their home, and while the metal security box under their bed held a lot of $$, from the heat the paper $$ burned. They took the box to a bank afterwards, and it was determined the value of the bills that were no longer intact. I was floored that they could do that, back in the 1960's, but it was possible way back then.
This couldn't be done with a CD/DVD - it would still melt, and if you didn't get to it in time....... well, safer to have a copy somewhere else.

Our son had a house fire and they lost everything. Fortunately, we share photos with family members and we were able to share some photos with them. DH and I have been taking pictures for 60 years -- he just finished copying all of our slides, etc. -- no small job over the past 4 years. He is making multiple copies of the discs for each of the kids.

We used slides for much of the 70's thought is was a great idea....then....

It is a big job and a trip down memory lane for you I bet

@rocklady - hooray that this was done - Kudos to you and your family!!

@MISSINGROSIE and @Tallulah_B When our sons were in AR, DH gave them some of the pictures we took on a trip to Alaska in 1969. Last week when one of them was visiting us, he pulled out his cell phone and showed me one of my father, who made the trip with us, and me. I can hardly remember being that young!

Tallulah_B said:Lots of people have donated to scams too - Some $$ has not gone where it was intended.
I don't understand how being forewarned would help many keep their homes or businesses, other than getting insurance documents. People were lucky to get out with their lives....
All so very sad. We're 7 1/2 hours from Ft McMurray
Many people were driving along the highway, donating food, and clothing to those affected by this terrible disaster - bless those who are helping in any way they can.

I have heard reports that the ASPCA steals donation money, I was heartbroken as I have donated and if it's true I'm very upset it goes more to people than the animals.

How wonderful that your son kept the picture! Yes, you Were once that young
How sad that we aren't that young now.........

rocklady said:@MISSINGROSIE and @Tallulah_B When our sons were in AR, DH gave them some of the pictures we took on a trip to Alaska in 1969. Last week when one of them was visiting us, he pulled out his cell phone and showed me one of my father, who made the trip with us, and me. I can hardly remember being that young!

Jean..
It must have been a very special trip and time for him for him to have kept that on his phone.

Jean I am sorry about your sons fire. I Hope they are okay. Glad he was able to get some photos.

@luvsgrtdanes, Ronnie. The house has been rebuilt and they are occupying it once more.
@MISSINGROSIE The trip to Alaska was quite the adventure. We traveled from northern Illinois across Canada and then up into Alaska. We were able to view Mt. McKinley (Denali) in all its beauty one morning around 1:00 a.m. We traveled all the way down to Homer, visiting points of interest along the way. A Ford Econoline van was our transportation and we had a tent. The kids always got to pick campgrounds when we traveled in the US and always picked one with FTs (flush toilets) and a pool, however, they had to give up that luxury in Canada as there were none! The Alcan highway was 1300 miles of gravel. DH was a school administrator and had the month of July off. We always packed up and headed for a destination somewhere close to National Parks and the kids have visited every state in the US plus every province in Canada except the Northwest Territories and Prince Edward Island. Our son has dubbed our trips as "Summer School."

What a wonderful...wonderful...opportunity your kids had.

@MISSINGROSIE There are a lot of things money can't buy.

Yes. A LOT ..for sure

I just got a call from my Dermatologist, informing me that my latest biopsy was positive for melanoma. She says that it is in situ, so that's the good news. I will have surgery on the tip of my nose soon but won't know the extent of the surgery until it is actually done. Oh well, just another hurdle to get over. With all my sun-damaged skin, I have always figured this diagnosis would come in one day.

Ken- Wishing for the best!

I'm sad cuz it's snowing......