We never know when emergencies will happen. They are unpredictable and can happen when we least expect it. Some will require us to evacuate our home or business for many days.
Hurricanes and wildfires are weather emergencies where people may be forced to leave for a safer area and get out quick.
Being ready to go quick will allow you to possibly beat everyone else out, and not get stuck for hours in traffic.
Here we will look at knowing when to go, and where you will need to go. First let’s start with the proximity of the disaster.
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Proximity
You will want to determine how close a disaster must get before you will make the decision to leave. At times, if you wait until the last moment possible you may find evacuation impossible.
The roads could become impassible, the area could flood, or you could become surrounded by fire in the case of wildfires.
Deciding when the best time to evacuate is most important when you start your planning.
You will also need to know where you will go and how long it will take you to get there. Are you planning on a shelter, or are their friends or family close but out of the danger area you can stay with?
Knowing when you will leave and where you will go is where you start your evacuation plans.
I will say here that if you have pets now is also the time to make sure wherever you decide to go, your pets are also welcome for however long you may be there.
Is your Family Aware?
Sometimes we know when a weather disaster is going to occur, other times we can find ourselves caught off guard.
Wildfires are very unpredictable and can start at any time. If you are in an area that can be affected by wildfires, then this will be essential for your planning.
What I mean is a disaster can happen when the family is not together. You are at work, the kids are at school or a friend’s house, essentially you are not together. What will you do during this instance?
By making a plan and letting everyone in the family know the plan then no matter where everyone is they will know what to do.
For example, is everyone to meet at the home then leave, or is everyone to meet at the secondary, or evacuation location.
Everyone should know what they are to do in different situations, so taking the time to cover a variety of scenario during the planning will help with this.
Be Detailed
What this means is you want to make sure everyone knows what to do in any situation.
Giving an overview of the evacuation plan can leave members confused on what to do. When you go over the plan make sure everyone is there and understand their role in the evacuation as well as everyone else’s role. If a member becomes incapacitated during the evacuation, someone will need to step in and fill their role, and if everyone knows each other’s roles, stepping in shouldn’t be a problem. You will also be able to execute the evacuation without confusion if someone is unable to do their part.
Making laminated cards with family member information on them is a great way to ensure if you become separated, and if someone gets injured, first responders will have contact information. You can also designate a family member that doesn’t live with you as a contact person as and emergency contact should you become separated and need to communicate. This person should be someone in the family that lives outside the disaster area that everyone knows to contact with their status.
You will want to let this person know their role in your plan, and what situations they would be used.
During some disasters, communications can be overloaded and trying to contact each other will be difficult. This is why having a contact person is beneficial.
Communications
I mention having a family member that everyone calls, and this can be useful if you become separated as a family.
Another way that communications can be important to plan is at the start of a disaster.
Again, phone lines can become overwhelmed and getting in touch with each other difficult. Designating who calls who during an emergency will potentially help everyone make contact.
What this means is each kid calls a specific parent, for example.
If everyone is trying to contact the same person, the chance of getting through will decrease, so specifying who calls who can make contact easier.
If calls don’t work then using text will be another option.
Creating codes for text will limit words used and potentially get through an already overloaded cell system.
You will still want to designate who text who though.
Kits
It cannot be said enough that everyone in the family needs a kit, or go bag, they grab when you go to evacuate.
This bag should contain supplies that will last for 72 hours with food, water, and other items that will help get through the first 72 hours of an emergency.
You will want to make sure even small kids have a bag, but limit it to what they can easily carry while still ensuring they can survive.
Practicing with the tools carried by each member will be important too. Everyone should be able to use every tool carried by everyone.
Having the same tools and supplies in each bag is OK because you never know when you might be separated, and a member might need to survive the first 72 hours without you.
These bags should be planned well, and pre-made kits will have everything you might need, so getting one for every member is highly recommended.
You don’t want someone to suffer because you didn’t get them the needed supplies beforehand.
Pets
I mention earlier your pets should be considered when you are planning your destination when you evacuate, but there is more that you need to do to make evacuating with them easy for you and them.
The first thing is having a safe way for them to travel. Dogs mostly are good with just a leash, but cats and other small pets will need portable carriers. Make sure you have enough for all your pets.
Another consideration is having a go bag for them as well. They are part of your family, so include them when you get bags for everyone.
There are bags made specifically for cats and dogs that include food and other supplies you may need for them.
You can also get a first aid kit that is specific for your pet because you never know what might happen.
You need to also know vets in the area you evacuate to. In an emergency you don’t have time to look around for a vet, you need to know who you will call without having to take the time to look for local vets.
It will also be a great idea to have proof of current vaccinations for your pet just in case you have to leave them with the vet, or even board them temporarily for their safety.
Identifying your pet is something else to consider. Have them chipped for easy identification, but also make sure they have tags on their collar, so people know their name and how to contact you. This is especially important with my next point.
Lastly, if you are getting ready to evacuate and your pet is being difficult because they are spooked and scared, don’t sacrifice your life for theirs. It is very difficult for me to say this because I would not want to leave without my fur babies, but it is possible you could face that difficult decision.
With that horror said, being able to identify your pet will be important. As mentioned, a chip can be implanted into them that is registered to you that will be proof of ownership. Your vet can do this for you, but you can also make sure they have tags on their collar with info as well.
Between the two, a chip is placed under the skin and will always be with your pet. A collar can come off your pet and become lost. The chip is the best choice with id on a collar being secondary and just offer quick information if it makes it through the disaster with your pet.
I know I discuss planning with pets more than I do people, but I do this because I think they get forgotten when it matters most. I just want to make sure you understand that they are family and should be included.
Conclusion
Planning your evacuation before you are forced out will make the escape easier and less chaotic. Knowing where you will go, how to contact each other, and making sure you cover all the specifics while you plan, you will give you and your family a better chance of getting out before the masses and make the situation much less stressful.
When everyone knows their role as well as the role of other members of the family, even if someone is missing or out of commission, the evacuation can still happen and be smooth.
We always plan when we travel or go on vacations and taking the time to plan for something that could happen where you live will be just the same but may take longer.
This is something that is ongoing and needs to be practiced regularly. Having dry runs with the evacuation helps the family get their roles down better as well. Call for dry runs even when you are all not together. This helps practice all possible scenarios when you need to get out fast.
