What precautions have you taken?

[Tro-chan]

The day before Halloween the C.A. Bay Area had a fairly decent earthquake (5.6). No major damage, but it got me thinking: What precautions have you taken for your doll in case of the natural disasters in your area? Some, obviously are easier to prepair for, or generally have enough advance warning, as in the case of hurricanes, wildfires, and generally tornadoes, but what about the ones that have no warning?
How about other emergencies?
I'm interested in hearing everyone's ideas and preparations:heart

[Taco]

Where I live, there aren't a lot of natural disasters. Tornados come up the most, however, since I live in a basement apartement, my dolls, my dog, and I are already where we need to be (in actuality, there aren't even that many tornados). I think the worst case scenerio would be a housefire. It's a small apartement, and they're all in a central location, so I probably could get them out reletively quickly either buy dumping them in a box or wrapping them up in a blanket and dragging them out. My dog (who will go out on her own if I open the door) and my dolls are the only things I'd worry about. However, if worse comes to worse the dog obviously comes first.

If I had to evacuate and there was time, I'd pack them in their rolling suitcase (it fits in my car with enough room left for the dog), and throw my own clothes and necessities in the trunk and take off.

[cheshiretiffy]

In this kind of situation, my dolls would be the furthest thing from my mind. I'm much more concerned with the safety of my son, boyfriend and neighbors.

It would be a shame to lose the dolls, but real people come first.


If there were plenty of time to get everyone and everything of value out, I'd put them all in a big suitcase and take them with me.

[Celebare]

Whenever I have my boys home with me on break (my family lives in the LA area), if I'm leaving them somewhere to sit for long periods of time, they're always someplace where an earthquake couldn't knock them over XD;

As for my apartment in Ohio, I'm really only worried about the possibility of a fire. In the event of one, I'd first be sure both of my cats were outside and safe, and then worry about my laptop/portable hard drive, and then, if I miraculously had time, I'd think about my other valuables. But I've got a lot of valuables (emotions-wise - financially my whole apartment is worth less than my girlfriend's car XDDD), so I don't like to think of house fires >___>

[rattimoth]

I have children.. the dolls are way down the list.

Having said that.. we live in an area that doesn't get earthquakes *knock on wood* bushfires would be rare, and so would floods. As for a housefire, well, the dolls are insured, and I have children.

Much as my dolls mean to me, I am realistic.

[Myriai]

I am lucky in that I live in Arizona and as much as I grumble and gripe about the heat, what the environment seems to do to the dolls (face-ups, wigs, etc.), one thing I can't complain about is the fact that there is next to no risk of natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, etc. We have had a microburst (something really close to a tornado--people still debate whether it was a microburst or a tornado) near where I used to live and that was really the worst of it. The most dangerous times of year for us are in the monsoon season when we get some really nasty storms (if they decide to hit) and when everything is extremely dry greatly increasing the risk of fire. I think the biggest risk I am looking at is a fire and I regret to say that my dolls as much as I love and adore them are pretty low on the list of things to get out and I probably have too many to get out of the apartment in one armful, so the best I can do is maybe grab one or two after making sure the cats and my roommate are out and hope that they get the fire out fast enough that the dolls that remain inside will have little to no damage that is not fixable.

[april]

I live in SoCal, so I do think about earthquakes and fires (fires not so likely where I am--aside from the house-fire kind-- and earthquakes can be years and years apart--but since you never know, it's best to be prepared). Those of us in earthquake country usually know about stuff like sticky-tack to hold pictures on walls and breakable items on shelves... And I'll generally try to make sure my dolls aren't anywhere where a slight shake can easily send them tumbling onto something that could break them...

I DID think of dolls and their owners during the recent fires and the earthquake up in Northern CA... 'Just hoped everyone was organized and could take care of things--like loved ones and pets and computers and photos, first, and I suspect, dolls if at all possible. In fires, most people have some time to evacuate (although not all the time). I know those in San Diego who had to evacuated, or who were prepared to evacuate if they needed to, had their dolls and other items with them...

I DO think it's a good thing to be prepared for disasters. I don't have kids or pets to worry about, so I actually WOULD try and save my dolls, if I had time. I'll try and keep their case handy--or even keep some of my dolls IN their case. And I try not to keep anything that might fall and break at the edges of shelves, etc. I'm not as prepared as I ought to be, but I am conscious of earthquakes and fires, so I hope I'm not going to be totally clueless if anything does happen!

[Kahli]

I would grab the cats and the hamsters and wave bye-bye to the dolls as I race out and away in the trusty Passat! ;)

when and if I got back, I would play Frankendollie with the doll parts that were left. it's only resin. ;)

[Kit]

There aren't a lot of natural disasters here, so the biggest concern would probably be fire. Actually, a few months ago there was a large fire that started to spread to some nearby buildings (nobody got hurt, thank goodness), but I didn't end up having to leave even though we were told to get ready.

The first thing I did was put the 2 cats in their carriers, and then I stuffed the family photobook and one or two things in a bag. The doll was the third priority, and in a carrying bag she went! If I didn't have time to do all of that I'd just have to grab the kitties and go. *nods*

[Gelfling]

I don't have enough carriers for all my dolls - it'd be a real problem!

I'd need my family first, and my laptop too. I can see I don't have enough arms for just one trip... ^^;;

[decadentarisu]

I only have one doll now, so she's no problem XD But the worst that can happen here is typhoons. Houses here are built to withstand strong winds and rains, so relatively my doll would be safe. I'd be more concerned about my dogs, though. But in case of an earthquake, little Ulalume always stays in her box and isn't on a place where she could fall off.

[Kalani]

Living in Southern New England...and 5 miles in land (well at least from the ocean)....Idont really have any worries about natural disasters. However fire is a real concern of mine as twice in the last year I have ended up outside with my kids in the cold due to either stupid neighbors (they started a small kitchen fire) or some stupid kid pulling the fire alarm. Therefore unless I am sewing or playing with my dolls, they end up in the carrier (I will have to buy a 70cm carrier for Feanor though when he gets here...Miyuki can fit in with Alanna) when I am not playing or sewing for them.

Its sad because I'd really like to put all my dolls on display....but we'll be moving soon, so it isnt as much as a concern.

[derilan85]

I would take the important papers that are in the fire proof box we have, then medicine, and if I had the time I would take my dolls, but I would probably not even think about it if I had to pack everything in a short amount of time.

[ArcaneMuse]

My family and animals come first. If it was an emergency that gave us warning, I think I would use the extra space in our cars for more important things such as water, clothing, blankets, important papers/files. If there was still room, I have family heirlooms that would come before the dolls. I get a lot of enjoyment out of my dolls but they are replaceable. Lives and items that have been handed down thru the family for generations are not.

[Redd Heart]

It's really hard to say. It depends on the emergency, what kind of time frame I would have to prepare, if any, and that sort of thing.

I have renter's insurance, but I do need to get earthquake insurance at some point because the renter's insurance does not cover earthquake damage. Yeah, it's not cheap, but if all else fails, I want to know I can replace even part of what I had before, not only dolls, but even the basics of living.

[Honooko]

The natural disasters I have to worry about are house fires and earthquakes; in both cases, I have things I'm more worried about first. I have two small parrots (cockatiels) and getting the girls into a travel cage quickly is actually something I've practiced with them. Depending on how much time I had, I would then grab my external drive (as both computers are backed up on it) and then the dolls.

They are worth a lot to me, but I have other priorities.

[girdethsvoice]

Like Kalani, I've had experiences with stupid or unlucky neighbors setting things on fire. We also get flood warnings, but we have not had to evacuate in our neighborhood. All this makes me extremely aware of how fast you can gather up pets and get dressed and throw valuables like documents and computer backup disks together. (Not as quickly as you'd like.) I would want to include my dolls, as they can't be replaced or duplicated, but live people, pets, and medical needs come first. All the cat carriers take up space!
We also get earthquake concerns in my area, and we have actually had freak tornadoes in the last three years. Boy, I'm making my area sound so nice, aren't I?
In spite of the earthquake possibilities, I have my dolls out where I can see them and not safely wrapped in boxes, so I haven't got my dolls secured as well as they probably need to be for emergencies. This is why, if anybody knows about a padded doll carrier that can secure several SD-sized critters at once, at reasonable cost, I'd love to hear suggestions!

[Tro-chan]

Girdethsvoice, I've heard that getting an old fashioned hard sided suitcase or large briefcase at a second hand store is a great way for carrying and protecting many dolls and a good deal of their things^^
As for me, I do feel a little nervous that I have no real place to keep mine other than an open shelf, but I do hope to eventually have room for a cabinet with glass/plexi doors and good earthquake latches. In my area, earthquakes and fire are really the two biggest worries Well... That and some of the idiot punk kids in the area deciding to get cute and break in:mad.

[blackwingsblackheart]

I'm also really lucky, in that I live a stone's-throw from downtown. I don't believe there's been a tornado through here in living memory--the suburbs, particularly the western ones, are the hardest hit in my area--and my building is about 100 years old, so I figure if it was going to blow down it would have done by now. Fire is my biggest fear, particularly since my building is full of students with the attendant dangers of forgotten candles, cigarettes and joints. There hasn't been an alarm since I got my dolls, fortunately, but if there was a fire I'd have to leave them behind in favor of my two cats, my purse/bag and my laptop. My parking spot is close by, so all I can hope for is that I'll have time to dump the living animals and the computer and run back up to get other valuables like the dolls. Using my suitcase instead of fussing with their carriers is a good idea--I'd rather sort out a few messy wigs than lose them altogether.

[digikym]

I don't give natural disasters too much thought. If a hurricane comes by and clears out everything, including my dolls (because lord knows I'm not taking them all with me if I have to evacuate), they would be covered under our home-owners insurance. I have plenty of photos proving that I have them, not to mention paypal receipts of payment... I'd be sad to lose my individual dolls, but I know I will always get the money back and be able to get them again.

Although, some are harder to get than others.

[ruaki]

Hahaha. When I was living in Houston, we had that big Hurricane Rita scare a while back... the one that caused those huge evacuation traffic problems... (it took 19 hours to travel what should've been a 3 hour trip...)

Well, I was one of the people who evacuated--namely cause I had my mother call me up screaming that I'd leave the city blah blah blah.

Luckily, I only owned two dolls at that time... I did take them with me (along with my copic markers and computer tower... the most expensive things I owned at the time lol, what priorities!); the rest of the doll stuff was packed carefully away in event of flooding.

Probably now, I'd leave them behind since I have so many. Especially since we're more prone to bad storms or tornadoes where I live now, so there's definitely less time to react and plan, like there was with the hurricane. My life and the life of living loved ones definitely comes before the dolls.

But, as a lot of people have been saying, at least insurance can at least take care of the physical issues.

[Merle]

I have to agree with most of what has been already said here. My dogs, cats and then other important items from my family would all come before the dolls. My dolls are very important but living things, and irreplaceable heirlooms would come first.

But I don't think I'd ever have this situation where I live in MD. No disasters here so the only fear could be a fire. The dolls could be replaced or others bought that I'd like as much.

[manaswam]

The largest natural disaster here (other than a house fire) would be a tornado. Fortunately, my home is a reverse plan and therefore much of the home is under the ground - provides a perfect place for my dolls. Most important papers are kept at the bank. But it nonetheless would be terrible matter how prepare for, just because of books, pictures, etc. that also need to be protected.

[wildefae]

I don't even have my first doll at the moment, so I guess my "preparation" would be: *picks her up and goes*. Luckily, I don't live in an area predisposed to too much danger, but even now I'm being proven wrong as we're having high winds and wildfires tonight. I agree with everyone who's saying family and emergency clothing comes first. I'd say my laptop but after nearly 6months spent without it because I'm a phone-phobe and haven't gotten my ass to customer service...well...you can live without anything, I think.

[kodamansan]

Yeah, I live in arizona so there really isn't any type of natural desasters but I have heard from a fellow doll owner that you can get insuance to cover them....... So where could I get more information, on this topic???

[Sakura]

Yeah, I live in arizona so there really isn't any type of natural desasters but I have heard from a fellow doll owner that you can get insuance to cover them....... So where could I get more information, on this topic???

It would probably best to go to sites that cater more to the newer fans of the hobby such as Den of Angels for that kind of information.