Prep Series Week 8: Evacuation Plans
This is part eight of our ten-part toolkit series providing a step-by-step guide about how to prepare for disaster. You can read Parts 1-7 in the Resources & Toolkits page of Cramming for the Apocalypse.
All previous posts have focused primarily on preparing to be at your own home for extended periods of time without the services we’re used to. And this is going to be the case for situations where there are long-term power outages, snow or wind storms, or other types of disasters where sheltering in place is the safest option. But there are countless other disaster situations that might require you to evacuate, and global climate change means we’re now facing even more intense weather that could uproot us from our homes. From a hurricane along the west coast, to wildfires and mudslides, there are increasing reasons you might have to evacuate your residence.
But how do you prepare for that unthinkable emergency? Take a deep breath, because there are 15 things you can prep now, to ensure that you can evacuate fast – and with everything you’ll need to survive and thrive in the transition.
Make A Plan
Your first step is to think about options for where you can go. In some cases, it might be another home in your community if you have to evacuate your residence. Do you have friends or family nearby you can stay with? Or sometimes you may need to leave town in case of widespread disaster. Do you have family or friends that live in a different town? If it’s a weather emergency, are they far enough (or too far) away? Look at the likely scenarios for evacuations–storms, fires, flooding, etc– and build your plan with that in mind.
Make sure to touch base with these people (when applicable) to let them know you’re thinking about them as an emergency backup. And then download and print out maps to these locations to put in your Go Bag.
Once you know where (or have a few potential options), ask yourself what your trigger for leaving will be. Will you rely on local authorities to give the evacuation order? Will you leave before to avoid traffic on the highways? If it’s related to civil unrest, is there an event (like certain kinds of protests or actions from the police or military) that will trigger you to leave for a secondary location?
Finally, what is your fitness level and does your household have any mobility impediments? If traveling with young children, keep in mind that they will not be able to overland travel for several miles in a single day. If traveling with the elderly or disabled, you may have to choose routes that are friendlier to unsteady feet, or wheelchairs. Plan ahead!
Make Your Go-Bag
Remember that the goal of an evacuation bag or kit is to get to a safe location, not to rough it on the road. You aren’t going on a Jack London walkabout, you are fleeing to a safe point, where you will have what you need to ride out the crisis.
Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork! Have all the passports/scans, drivers license & other ids (plus scans), marriage license, adoption certificates, immunization records, property deeds and insurance forms that we discussed in Week 6. Have your major documents with you or copied and encrypted onto your smartphone. This way, you have proof of who you are and what you own after the disaster has passed (if you've created an encrypted file on your phone, you’re ahead of the game!) – Paperwork also includes printed maps to your evacuation destination (a road atlas is also a good backup).
Two to three days of clothes, especially undergarments and socks. Damp socks cause blisters – not what we need to worry about when evacuating. Having a few changes means if you have to wash by hand, you have spares to wear while everything dries. Plan to switch out the type of clothing based on seasons.Additionally, you might want to throw in 5-7 feet of paracord as a drying line–this can be stuffed in pants pockets.
Soap and other toiletries. While packing travel versions of all your toiletries is good (especially a toothbrush and toothpaste!), a basic bar of soap can get your body and clothes clean. Plan to have a bar of soap packed away alongside other personal care items. My (Brekke) personal stash includes toothbrush & toothpaste, floss, a bar of regular soap and a bar of shampoo soap, plus a travel sized deodorant.
Water, refillable water bottle, and water filtration. You never know what the hydration situation will be on the road. If there is the chance you might have to walk out on foot, having water filtration means you can gather water and stay hydrated after your pre packaged water bottle runs dry. This will also come in handy if you are in a displacement camp without an established clean water system. My favorite portable water filter is the Sawyer and the Grayle. Add in a few rehydration packets (like Pedyatlyte or gatorade packets) to help with taste and maintaining electrolytes.
Snacks and food that doesn’t require cooking. Grab those granola bars, and pack those protein bars. For evacuation purposes you’re looking for quick calories you can eat while on the move. Don’t go for stuff you have to stop and cook. They take up space in your evac bag and could slow down your progress. Grab something like these Cliff bars. Add a few small treats, like flavored water packs or small hard candies, that can lift your spirits when the overwhelm sets in. If you want to add a heartier option, you could pack a “heat water and serve” pouch meal, like Mountain House or other camping freeze dried meal that can be mixed inside the mylar bag, keeping your pack light. Again, this is not a through hiking bag (unless you know you'll have to make camp as part of your evac plan). Premade, no-cooking foods will take you a long way. If you go that route, don’t forget utensils, and cooking gear.
Over The Counter and prescription medications. If you can get an extra week of your essential prescription medications from your doctor and keep them in your evac bag, that’s ideal. If not, have a few days in your kit, and mindfully switch out as you refill. Keep a basic pain and fever reducer, anti-diarrheal, heartburn and upset stomach, and allergy medications on hand. Have child appropriate versions if evacuation with kids. If you can, try to pack a small first aid kit. Even a zip-top plastic baggie with bandaids, antiseptic, blister care, burn cream, and gauze can go a long way. Here is an excellent small first aid kit. Don’t forget non-medication items like spare reading glasses or contacts and oral care (like care for dentures or braces). If you have someone with mobility issues, plan ahead– do they need a special cane? Take these into consideration when planning your Evac bag and your evac route.
N95 mask or better. While these became familiar in the pandemic, a mask will help prevent airborne particulates from entering your airway. Especially if you are in a wildfire zone where there is the risk of smoke, having masks is essential. These N95 masks are made in the USA. If you want to invest in higher quality gas masks and respirators, that’s fine. But starting with at least a handful of KN95s is a great baseline for your evac bag. Plan on 2-3 masks per member of your household.
Headlamps and backup batteries. You can’t be sure that you won’t have to evacuate at night. Having headlamps for every member of your household will be crucial. Headlamps keep you hands free and don’t take up much space. If your budget allows, try to have dedicated headlamps for your evac kit, and for your general shelter-in-place preps.
Back up charging cables for phone, and a solar charger. In our plugged in world, you want to make sure your main line of communication can be charged. Don’t waste time scrambling for cables, have a backup set and battery or solar charger on hand. Bonus points if you grab a solar charger and radio combo (like this) – it can serve to give you weather updates even if the internet or cell service is down. Regularly check that you make sure these backup charges are charged, they can lose their charge after sitting for some time.
List of sentimental items to grab if there’s time. This includes photo albums, stuffed animals, hard drive back ups, etc. While you don’t have to pack them in your evac kit, if there are a few small items that are emotionally meaningful, stashing them in or near your evac bag during heightened time of potential evacuation may mean having time to grab them. If the worst case pans out and you return to a devastated home, having one or two sentimental items will mean the world to your family.
A NOAA weather radio that’s both battery powered and solar powered, so that you can get updates if the internet/cell lines are down. Some of these double as phone chargers and flashlights.
Cash in small bills. When there is a crisis cash becomes king. If the internet or phone lines are down, then your credit or debit cards can’t be used. Aim to keep $100 for every member of your family on hand – and keep them in small bills ($1, $5, $10 and a few $20s). If something costs $0 but you only have $20s, you’ll pay double to get what you need. Just as with a shelter-in-place emergency, cash on hand is an essential part of an evac bag.
Card games or other entertainment. If you end up in an evac camp you might not have access to your phone games or the internet. Having a few (small!) games (like a deck of cars or UNO) can offer a temporary reprieve from boredom and worry. If traveling with children, plan ahead to have a stuffie or other comfort item, and additional entertainment/distraction items (a coloring books and a few crayons, a slim storybook, etc).
Fire starting kit. While I don't necessarily recommend getting a full cookstove in your evac bag, having the capability of making fire is an essential tool to have with you. Keep at least 2 different options for starting a fire on hand– a good old fashioned BIC lighter (with duct tape wrapped around the handle for bonus use as needed), and a second starter–matches in a waterproof container, ferro rod (but make sure you know how to use this if you bring one), etc. Whatever you choose to store, practice starting a fire with it (you can do this in a cast iron frying pan on your stove if you don’t have a fire-pit or fireplace in your home). Vaseline-coated cotton balls stored in an old pill bottle are very flammable and can help get a fire going quickly.
Rain poncho. The last thing you want is to get drenched if you’re having to walk out as part of your evacuation. Have rain ponchos for everyone in your family, and a few to spare.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, and there are more things that can be of benefit depending on your fitness level and your evac plan in general. A tarp, duct tape, paracord and zip ties may be useful if sheltering overnight is likely. However, a tarp can take up valuable space in a pack. Mylar blankets can trap heat and take up little room and weight. A sleeping bag would be nice to have, but if you’re carrying everything on your back, you might not have the room/weight to spare (but you could throw it in your car). Weather appropriate clothing and closed-toed, hard soled shoes should be stored by your bags.
As you have a clear plan for when and how you will evacuate, you can then plan the specifics of what you’ll take.
Looking for more ideas? Check out our 2 part video series on evacuation kits.
Action Steps
Make a plan of where you’d go in different disaster scenarios. See page 32 in the workbook
Put your Go-Bag Kit together. See page 33 in the workbook
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