The key, of course, is to take these things if you have time to pack up and evacuate in an orderly fashion. Hopefully anyone who is following the story closely will be able to do that. On the other hand, if firemen show up at your door and say to get out now, and you haven’t prepared your belongings — leave them! No photos are as precious as your life. But if you have time and are anywhere that even might be asked to evacuate, f_l_u is right: pack some things up in advance, so you can grab them and go if and when the time comes.

Remember, ‘P’ stands for priorities:

1) people
2) pets
3) papers (important ones that you may need, such as id, deeds and insurance docs, not your Playboy collection)
4) precious keepsakes (if they are irreplaceable, small and can stand being stuffed into your trunk or a travel bag)

If it isn’t on that list, don’t futz around with it. That jewelry you like can be replaced with another pieces that you will love just as much. Ditto for any “mementos” piled in your garage. Etc.