People who evacuated in the path of Hurricane Katrina a year ago tried to grab what they could. Despite the loss of their homes and neighborhoods, however, many say that what they regret the most is the loss of their family mementos - pictures, albums, family heirlooms... Do you have a plan in place in case disaster strikes you?

Keep photos, albums, family mementos and other treasures in one location in your house, if possible, to make them easy to find and take with you in case of a disaster. Box the ones you can, and keep the ones on display in close proximity to one another. Don't risk your life to save them, however! If minutes count, get yourself to safety and forget the photos.

To help prevent the total loss of your family photos and documents, it pays to take the time to scan them in digitally and save them on CD. Then take that CD to the safe deposit box at the bank and make copies for family members. This is good insurance against disaster, as well as making your relatives happy!

The same goes for your genealogy research - be sure to back up your files regularly.

How do you plan to save your family history from disaster? Click on "comments" below and share your suggestions!