As we have reviewed various issues relating to preparedness, I have not focused on 72 hour kits because (for many cases) 72 hour’s worth of supplies would not be enough. A well-made kit will have the advantage of portability however, and that is great if there is ever a time when you will need to leave.
There are always unknown factors in emergency planning, and thinking about evacuation is no exception. Potential issues can include volcanic eruption, wildfires, floods, or hazardous waste spills. In this area there is not a great risk of a tsunami or a hurricane, but you may not always live here. For our primary local hazard, you can’t really evacuate away from an earthquake, but housing may be damaged to the extent that leaving is necessary.
One element of preparedness is knowing your area. People who live in Kansas know what to do when a tornado comes, and you should know your local risks. Are you in a flood plain? Are you in an area at risk for mud slides? If so, when the weather is persistently rainy, you need to start paying attention.
As well as not knowing what will happen, you do not know how much notice you will have. In the case of flooding or forest fires, there is often a fair amount of warning, with uncertainty on whether evacuation will be necessary, but time to prepare in case it does happen. Some things come up much more quickly. It is good to be prepared for either event, and the best way to get prepared is by thinking ahead about many different scenarios.
A few seconds: The most common example of this would be a house fire. The recommendation is that you do not take anything—you just get yourself out, and maybe you assist small children, the elderly, or those with disabilities.
My sister has told me that there is no way she is leaving without her purse. Since she keeps this next to her bed, it seems like it should be easy enough to grab. It would also be very hard for us to leave without our pets, even though the fire department says to leave animal rescue to them.
I will not criticize anyone for having their own exceptions, but please remember that smoke will hamper visibility while it is filling your lungs, and if the smoke alarm has woken you up in the middle of the night you will be disoriented, and not thinking well. The point is to get out quickly, before those factors keep you from getting out at all. That is one reason why occasional drilling can be really helpful, although surprise drills in the middle of the night will probably not be immediately appreciate by housemates.
So, you will not be able to take anything, but for this specific circumstance you will probably find that the Red Cross will get you into a motel, and be helpful, and there should be fire insurance to help with recovery. While it is certainly still important to remove fire hazards, if that does not work out, it is still important to get out quickly, after that things should be fine.
A few minutes: This is probably the least likely scenario, in that you will have either seconds or hours, but you can use a few minutes quite well if you plan ahead.
The most obvious choice will be to grab the 72 hour kits. If the evacuation is mandated by local authorities, chances are good that you are being sent to a shelter, and that shelter may well have food, water, and bedding. That may not be the case, however, and even if you are going somewhere with all the amenities, it is great to be able to change your clothes and have some personal items. Having some reading material or games will help relieve stress. Actually, just having that kit already packed takes pressure off of you at a time when you can probably use it. (Even if the shelter is well-equipped, you may find that bringing your own sleeping bags or blankets increases your comfort.)
One item often recommended for kits is a supply of medicine, which many people do not follow due to the inconvenience. This is fine but then it needs to be part of the emergency plan that the medicine will be grabbed on the way out. If the person who takes it is not at home, other household members need to be prepared to do that, knowing where the medicine is.
The other thing to think about is what will be useful to have, and what will be hard to replace. Assuming you have made an emergency communication plan, you probably have a list of important phone numbers, and a copy of it is in your kit. It may also be good to have a binder of documents that you would not want to lose. This can include birth certificates, wills, title information, insurance policies, tax records, and maybe even a list of credit card customer service numbers and account numbers. You may be keeping that information in a safety deposit box, but it can often be useful to have copies available, in case you do not have access to the box. When you have that information assembled together, it becomes an easy addition to the plan to grab the binder on the way out.
(You could also have concerns that having all of that information together leaves you ripe for identity theft if it falls into the wrong hands, and that is possible, but then you can think about potential safeguards. Planning ahead is what allows us to see and solve problems in advance.)
You should also consider items that have spiritual or sentimental importance. You can get your patriarchal blessing replaced, but it is better not to need that. Family history information and photo albums would be sorely missed. As much of this information is kept electronically now, you need to think about computer backups also, whether it is a matter of using a remote backup service or periodically updating a flash drive that travels with you. Then the plan is updated so that everyone knows where the albums and backups are, and those get grabbed too.
A few hours or days: Realistically, you will probably not be able to pack up the whole house, as that will weigh down your vehicle, but you can look at other items—more clothes and maybe even more food storage—or keepsakes. Don’t be caught off guard. Take a walk around your home and think about what items have meaning for you. Maybe it will also be a good time to de-clutter!
Even if there are items that you cannot take, there may be other preparations that can be done, like moving items to the top story when there is a flood approaching, calling loved ones to keep them updated, and checking on the neighbors.
Other timing issues: Not knowing when something will happen also means we don’t know where we will be. At least think about the possibilities of being at home and at work, where we spend the most time, and think about if it happens when you are in bed. Maybe you will be at a friend’s house, or the movies, or on vacation, and then we need to make adjustments to the plan, but having the base plan established helps.
(If it happens at church, it will be wonderful, because we can quickly get a count of who is there, and perhaps home and visiting teachers can let us know if those who are absent are so due to illness or travel, creating the fastest post-disaster welfare check ever, but we can’t count on that.)
About pets: In case of fire, our CERT instructor told us about one person who trained her dog to go straight out the doggie door whenever the alarm sounded. That is a brilliant solution that comes with forethought. Think about other potential issues as well, if they need a place to stay. Animals should have their own kits, and perhaps you can trade off acting as the emergency shelter with another friend. You can find more information at http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/disaster-preparedness/ or http://www.ocem.org/pdf_resources/23-Pet_Preparedness.pdf.
