Sandra Self talks about the April 27 tornado that destroyed home home on Cherokee Valley Road in Ringgold, Ga.RECOVERY RESOURCES• Address Change: When you move, be sure to change your address with the Post Office, IRS, and other government agencies, so that you’ll continue to receive mail and any government benefits at your new location: www.usa.gov/Citizen/Services/Address_Changes.shtml• Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates: Get records based on the location of the birth, death, marriage, or divorce.In Georgia, go to www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/georgia.htm.In Tennessee, go to www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/tennessee.htm.In Alabama, go to www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/alabama.htm.• Damaged Money: The Treasury Department will exchange mutilated or damaged U.S. currency. For information, go to moneyfactory.gov/damagedcurrencyclaim.html.• Document Restoration (Flood): The National Archives offers information on how to care for your flood damaged photos, books, papers, and more at www.archives.gov/preservation/disaster-response/guidelines.html.• Document Restoration (Fire): The Library of Congress offers information on restoring fire-damaged documents and collections at www.loc.gov/preservation/emergprep/fire.html.• Drivers’ Licenses and Vehicle Registration: Find your state’s motor vehicle department to get or replace your driver’s license, and register your car.In Georgia, go to www.dds.ga.gov/.In Tennessee, go to https://www.tennesseeanytime.org/tndlr/.In Alabama, go to dps.alabama.gov/Home/wfContent.aspx?ID=30&PLH1=plhHome-DriverLicense.• Green Card Replacement: Get instructions on how to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged permanent resident card (green card). For more information, go to http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=d0a33a4107083210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=d0a33a4107083210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD.• Legal help: Storm victims can find out about specific services provided by Tennessee Disaster Legal Services at 888-395-9297, and they also can call Legal Aid of East Tennessee 423-756-4013.• Medicare Card replacement: Learn how to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged Medicare card. For more information, go to https://secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/IMRC/main.html.• Military service records: Get copies of military service records, to prove military service or to research genealogy. For more information, go to www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records.• Passport: Report your lost or stolen passport immediately. Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if your passport is lost or stolen overseas, or go to travel.state.gov/passport/lost/lost_848.html.• Savings bonds recovery: Cash and replace lost, stolen, or destroyed bonds. For information, go to www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/research/indepth/ebonds/res_e_bonds_eereplace.htm.• School Records: Contact your former school or the appropriate school district if the school has closed. For more information about how to reach districts or find information on financial aid records at answers.usa.gov/system/selfservice.controller?CONFIGURATION=1000&PARTITION_ID=1&CMD=VIEW_ARTICLE&ARTICLE_ID=11140&USERTYPE=1&LANGUAGE=en&COUNTRY=US.• Social Security Card Replacement: Learn how to replace your lost or stolen Social Security card at ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/251.• Tax Return: Request a copy of your federal tax return from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc156.html.Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency
RINGGOLD, Ga. – Count Sandra Self among the people whose family photographs and sensitive personal information were scattered to the winds when tornadoes raked the tri-state area April 27.
The Catoosa County, Ga., tax commissioner and her husband, Dennis, lost everything they owned in the EF4 tornado that killed seven of their neighbors and leveled many of their homes.
On top of the physical devastation and loss, Self and others found that important papers and personal documents had been scattered near and far, sometimes hundreds of miles.
At worst, that made tornado victims vulnerable to identity theft and left some with no personal records as they tried to piece their lives together.