Once a storm pops up in the Gulf, it’s always a good idea to refill necessary prescriptions.

But there’s a lot more that can be done before bad weather is even a possibility, and tha'ts why some people are saving their medical history.

From the floodwaters of Katrina and the traffic jams of Rita emerged untold medical emergencies and a flood of problems for physicians to solve.

“Any clue we can gather to get information is perfect for us,” Dr. Jeff Kalina of the Methodist Hospital said.

A possible solution for 14,000 nursing home residents: safety vests with waterproof pouches.

“This is where all the information goes, right in here,” nursing home resident Leon Sherman said.

It’s an effort to provide medical records under the worst of circumstances.

Already, federal law mandates all medical records should be electronic by 2010, which should help physicians treat patients quicker and better in case of a disaster.

“It was days before we could get information on some people,” Dr. Al Davies said. 

The Katrina experience inspired Dr. Davies to launch myhealtharchive.com. It's a Web site where anyone can download and store their medical history for an annual fee.

Access information is printed on cards that can be carried in a purse or wallet. 

“Ultimately we’ll have a series of remote sites that mirror each other no matter where you are in the country, what disaster you’re dealing with, the information is still available to you as soon as you can get to the Internet,” he said.

Instant access to a patients personal information can be vital -- any illness any emergency can quickly become a disaster of one.